Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National
The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By William Hone • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."
With Eighteen other Cuts.
"The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."
His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.
"Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"
0:00 / 0:00
Speed 0.75x
AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National is here in full — 71 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."
/wɪð ˈfɔːrˈtiːn step siːnz ənd ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz ɪn vɜːrs ðə ˈɔːθər ʌv ðə pəˈlɪtəkəl haʊs ðæt dʒæk bɪlt/
Line 2
With Eighteen other Cuts.
/wɪð eɪˈtiːn ˈʌðər kʌts/
Line 3
"The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."
/ðə ˈkwestʃən ɪz nɑːt ˈmɪrli ˈweðər ðə kwiːn ʃæl hæv hɜːr raɪts bʌt ˈweðər ðə raɪts ʌv æn ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl ɪn ðə ˈkɪŋdəm ʃæl biː friː frʌm vaɪəˈleɪʃən/
Line 4
His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.
Line 5
"Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"
/hiːr ɪz ə ˈdʒentəlmən ənd ə frend ʌv maɪn/

Learner Dictionary

These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.

Cuts noun US /kʌts/

plural of “cut” — a share of the profits

From this reading “With Eighteen other Cuts.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Eighteen adjective US /eɪˈtiːn/

being one more than seventeen

From this reading “With Eighteen other Cuts.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Fourteen noun US /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading “With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Illustrations noun US /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading “With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Majesty's noun US /ˈmædʒəstiz/

possessive form of “majesty” — impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading “His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Scenes noun US /siːnz/

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading “With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Verse noun US /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading “With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
violation noun US /vaɪəˈleɪʃən/

a crime less serious than a felony

From this reading “"The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 48

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading "Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Addrest

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.

Pending verification
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AnswerverbUS /ˈænsər/

react verbally

From this reading His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
AuthornounUS /ˈɔːθər/

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
BuiltadjectiveUS /bɪlt/

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CutsnounUS /kʌts/

plural of “cut” — a share of the profits

From this reading With Eighteen other Cuts.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/

being one more than seventeen

From this reading With Eighteen other Cuts.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FourteennounUS /ˈfɔːrˈtiːn/

the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
freeverbUS /friː/

grant freedom to; free from confinement

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading "Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GentlemannounUS /ˈdʒentəlmən/

a man of refinement

From this reading "Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading "Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HousenounUS /haʊs/

a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IllustrationsnounUS /ˌɪləˈstreɪʃənz/

plural of “illustration” — artwork that helps make something clear or attractive

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
individualadjectiveUS /ˌɪndəˈvɪdʒəwəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JacknounUS /dʒæk/

a small worthless amount

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
kingdomnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Majesty'snounUS /ˈmædʒəstiz/

possessive form of “majesty” — impressiveness in scale or proportion

From this reading His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
merelyadverbUS /ˈmɪrli/

and nothing more

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
minepronounUS /maɪn/

the one or ones belonging to the person speaking

From this reading "Here is a Gentleman, and a friend of mine!"

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Norwich

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.

Pending verification
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading With Eighteen other Cuts.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
PoliticaladjectiveUS /pəˈlɪtəkəl/

involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
QueennounUS /kwiːn/

the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/

challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
rightsnounUS /raɪts/

plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ScenesnounUS /siːnz/

plural of “scene” — the place where some action occurs

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
StepnounUS /step/

any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading His Majesty's Answer to the Norwich Addrest.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VersenounUS /vɜːrs/

literature in metrical form

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
violationnounUS /vaɪəˈleɪʃən/

a crime less serious than a felony

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/

used to introduce two or more possibilities

From this reading "The question is not merely whether the Queen shall have her rights, but whether the rights of an individual in the kingdom shall be free from violation."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading With Fourteen Step Scenes; and Illustrations in Verse, The Author of "The Political House That Jack Built."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National by William Hone holds 71 sentences, grouped into 15 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, unabridged, and the chapter records which sentences cover which part of the work so that nothing is dropped. Every word can be tapped for its pronunciation and dictionary entry.

What does chapter 1 of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National contain?

Chapter 1 holds 71 sentences of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National by William Hone exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 71 sentences, grouped into 15 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National

Common questions about reading The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National by William Hone on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National?

Yes. All 71 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21565 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21565, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 15 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National section by section

How to work through The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 1 chapters of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National to begin.

  2. Read one section

    Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.

  3. Listen and tap

    Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fourteen
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Scenes
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Illustrations
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Verse
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Matrimonial Ladder A National; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.