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The Sacred Herb
The Sacred Herb

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Sacred Herb is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Fergus Hume • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Sacred Herb
Context Illustration Reading 1/37 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street
BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.
Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.
Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.
This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.
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 Sacred Herb

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of The Sacred Herb is here in full — 186 sentences across 38 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/37 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street
Line 2
BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.
Line 3
Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.
Line 4
Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.
Line 5
This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

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.

Hansom noun US /ˈhænsəm/

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

From this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Herb noun US /ɜːrb/

a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests

From this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Holly noun US /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

From this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hume noun US /hjuːm/

Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)

From this reading “BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Opal noun US /ˈoʊpəl/

a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones

From this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Rainbow noun US /ˈreɪnboʊ/

an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain

From this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Serpent noun US /ˈsɜːrpənt/

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sweets noun US /swiːts/

plural of “sweet” — English phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics (1845-1912)

From this reading “This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

Hansom Cab noun + noun

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

In this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

441 times in 426,211 chapters
good fortune adjective + noun

an auspicious state resulting from favorable outcomes

In this reading “This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.”

13,890 times in 426,211 chapters
Secret Passage noun + noun

In this reading “The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street”

795 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 69

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 The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AUTHORnounUS /ˈɔːθər/

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

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
boredadjectiveUS /bɔːrd/

tired of the world

From this reading Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BYprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CabnounUS /kæb/

a compartment at the front of a motor vehicle or locomotive where driver sits

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Claude

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Pending verification
CoinverbUS /kɔɪn/

make up

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CupnounUS /kʌp/

a small open container usually used for drinking; usually has a handle

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Curzon

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Pending verification
desperatelyadverbUS /ˈdespərətli/

with great urgency

From this reading Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Duval

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Pending verification
EdwardnounUS /ˈedwərd/

King of England and Ireland in 1936; his marriage to Wallis Warfield Simpson created a constitutional crisis leading to his abdication (1894-1972)

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
etc

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

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.

Pending verification
extraordinaryadjectiveUS /ˌekstrəˈɔːrdəneri/

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FanverbUS /fæn/

strike out (a batter), (of a pitcher)

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FeatherverbUS /ˈfeðər/

join tongue and groove, in carpentry

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
feltverbUS /felt/

mat together and make felt-like

From this reading Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FERGUS

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

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.

Pending verification
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/

an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HansomnounUS /ˈhænsəm/

a two-wheeled horse-drawn covered carriage with the driver's seat above and behind the passengers

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HerbnounUS /ɜːrb/

a plant lacking a permanent woody stem; many are flowering garden plants or potherbs; some having medicinal properties; some are pests

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HollynounUS /ˈhɑːli/

any tree or shrub of the genus Ilex having red berries and shiny evergreen leaves with prickly edges

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HUMEnounUS /hjuːm/

Scottish philosopher skeptical philosophy restricted human knowledge to that which can be perceived by the senses (1711-1776)

From this reading BY FERGUS HUME AUTHOR OF "Lady Jim of Curzon Street," "The Rainbow Feather," "The Opal Serpent," "A Coin of Edward VII," "The Mystery of a Hansom Cab," etc.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Jim

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Pending verification
knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LadynounUS /ˈleɪdi/

a polite name for any woman

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LikeverbUS /laɪk/

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
longedverbUS /lɔːŋd/

past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lookverbUS /lʊk/

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Mandarin's

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Pending verification
MessagenounUS /ˈmesədʒ/

a communication (usually brief) that is written or spoken or signaled

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MysterynounUS /ˈmɪstəri/

something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
newadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Ninety-fiveadjective

being five more than ninety

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
OpalnounUS /ˈoʊpəl/

a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Pagan's

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Pending verification
PassagenounUS /ˈpæsədʒ/

the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Prelice

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

From this reading Lord Prelice felt desperately bored.

Pending verification
RainbownounUS /ˈreɪnboʊ/

an arc of colored light in the sky caused by refraction of the sun's rays by rain

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
RednounUS /red/

red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
resultnounUS /rɪˈzʌlt/

a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SacredadjectiveUS /ˈseɪkrəd/

concerned with religion or religious purposes

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SealedadjectiveUS /siːld/

established irrevocably

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SecretnounUS /ˈsiː.krət/

Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Velmora curated lexicon
SerpentnounUS /ˈsɜːrpənt/

limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
StreetnounUS /striːt/

a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
surfeited

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

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

Pending verification
sweetsnounUS /swiːts/

plural of “sweet” — English phonetician; one of the founders of modern phonetics (1845-1912)

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
VIInoun

the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whereconjunctionUS /wer/

in or at the place that

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WindownounUS /ˈwɪndoʊ/

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading This was the result of being surfeited with the sweets of extraordinary good fortune.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Xeres

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

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Pending verification
YellowadjectiveUS /ˈjeloʊ/

of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk

From this reading The Mystery of a Hansom Cab The Sealed Message The Sacred Herb Claude Duval of Ninety-five The Rainbow Feather The Pagan's Cup A Coin of Edward VII The Yellow Holly The Red Window The Mandarin's Fan The Secret Passage The Opal Serpent Lady Jim of Curzon Street

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Like Xeres, he longed for some new pleasure, yet knew not where to look for one.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 1 of The Sacred Herb by Fergus Hume holds 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 Sacred Herb contain?

Chapter 1 holds 186 sentences of The Sacred Herb, unabridged, divided into 38 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of The Sacred Herb by Fergus Hume exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 186 sentences, grouped into 38 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 Sacred Herb?

Work through the 38 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 38 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 Sacred Herb

Common questions about reading The Sacred Herb by Fergus Hume on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Sacred Herb?

Yes. All 5717 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #55642 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Sacred Herb is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #55642, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Sacred Herb take to read?

About 476 minutes of reading across 1144 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Sacred Herb section by section

How to work through The Sacred Herb section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Sacred Herb 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 Sacred Herb

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Sacred Herb, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mystery
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sacred Herb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hansom
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sacred Herb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sealed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sacred Herb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Message
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sacred Herb; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.