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The Sword of the King
The Sword of the King

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Sword of the King is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.
And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.
Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.
If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?
And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.
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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 Sword of the King

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of The Sword of the King is here in full — 56 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.
Line 2
And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.
Line 3
Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.
Line 4
If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?
/ɪf ðiːz θɪŋz wɜːr truː ʌv tʃɑːrlz huːm ɪn sʌm sɔːrt ðeɪ hæd kənˈtraɪvd tuː lʌv wʌt ʃʊd biː lʊkt fɔːr sed ˈemɪt ənd ðoʊz ʌv hɪz ˈkɪdni frʌm hɪm huː æz duːk ʌv jɔːrk wɑːz bʌt ˈleɪtli ðə moʊst ˈheɪtəd ənd ˈheɪtfəl ʌv ɔːl ɪn ðə θriː ˈkɪŋdəmz/
Line 5
And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.
/ənd ðen keɪm ðə ˈruːmərz ʌv ðə leɪt kɪŋz ˈduːɪŋ tuː deθ baɪ hɪz ˈbrʌðər naʊ ɑːn ðə θroʊn/

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.

downcast adjective US /ˈdaʊnkæst/

directed downward

From this reading “And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.”

Emmet noun US /ˈemɪt/

social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers

From this reading “And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.”

especial adjective US /əˈspeʃəl/

surpassing what is common or usual or expected

From this reading “And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.”

kidney noun US /ˈkɪdni/

either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine

From this reading “If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?”

kingdoms noun US /ˈkɪŋdəmz/

plural of “kingdom” — a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading “If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?”

pulpit noun US /ˈpʊlpɪt/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading “And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.”

rumors noun US /ˈruːmərz/

plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading “And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.”

uphold verb US /əpˈhoʊld/

keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading “And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.”

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.

Parish Church noun + noun

In this reading “And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.”

some sort adjective + noun

In this reading “If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?”

from the pulpit preposition + article + noun counted as “from … pulpit”

In this reading “And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.”

three kingdoms noun + noun counted as “three kingdom”

In this reading “If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?”

on the throne preposition + article + noun counted as “on … throne”

In this reading “And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.”

country people noun + noun

people living in the same country; compatriots

In this reading “And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.”

All words in this reading · 107

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.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

apostasynoun

the state of having rejected your religious beliefs or your political party or a cause (often in favor of opposing beliefs or causes)

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

articlenounUS /ˈɑːrtəkəl/

nonfictional prose forming an independent part of a publication

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/

past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/

a male with the same parents as someone else

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

cameverbUS /keɪm/

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/

King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

cheeredverbUS /tʃɪrd/

past form of “cheer” — give encouragement to

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/

one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

congregationnounUS /ˌkɑːŋɡrəˈɡeɪʃən/

a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

contrivedadjectiveUS /kənˈtraɪvd/

showing effects of planning or manipulation

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

CouncilnounUS /ˈkaʊnsəl/

a body serving in an administrative capacity

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

deadadjectiveUS /ded/

no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

doingverbUS /ˈduːɪŋ/

-ing form of “do” — engage in

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

downcastadjectiveUS /ˈdaʊnkæst/

directed downward

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

Drayton

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

DukenounUS /duːk/

a British peer of the highest rank

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

EmmetnounUS /ˈemɪt/

social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

especialadjectiveUS /əˈspeʃəl/

surpassing what is common or usual or expected

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

fairlyadverbUS /ˈferli/

to certain extent or degree

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

fathernounUS /ˈfɑːðər/

a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

hatedadjectiveUS /ˈheɪtəd/

treated with dislike or contempt

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

hatefuladjectiveUS /ˈheɪtfəl/

evoking or deserving hatred

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

headnounUS /hed/

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

how

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

kidneynounUS /ˈkɪdni/

either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

KingnounUS /kɪŋ/

a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

King'snounUS /kɪŋz/

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

kingdomsnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəmz/

plural of “kingdom” — a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

lateadjectiveUS /leɪt/

being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

latelyadverbUS /ˈleɪtli/

in the recent past

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

LateradverbUS /ˈleɪtər/

happening at a time subsequent to a reference time

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

lawsnounUS /lɔːz/

the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

membernounUS /ˈmembər/

one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

Monmouth

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

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

murmuredverbUS /ˈmɜːrmərd/

past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

newadjectiveUS /nuː/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

newsnounUS /nuːz/

information about recent and important events

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

ParishnounUS /ˈpærɪʃ/

a local church community

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

promiseverbUS /ˈprɑːməs/

make a promise or commitment

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

pulpitnounUS /ˈpʊlpɪt/

a platform raised above the surrounding level to give prominence to the person on it

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

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 And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

rumorsnounUS /ˈruːmərz/

plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

sombrelyadverb

in a somber manner

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

someadjectiveUS /sʌm/

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

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

sortnounUS /sɔːrt/

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/

the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

SundaynounUS /ˈsʌndeɪ/

first day of the week; observed as a day of rest and worship by most Christians

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

thenadverbUS /ðen/

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/

in spite of the fact that

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

thronenounUS /θroʊn/

the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.

From this reading And then came the rumors of the late King's doing to death by his brother now on the throne.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading And my father was cheered, and Emmet was sombrely downcast, and the country people murmured of King Monmouth under the breath.

upholdverbUS /əpˈhoʊld/

keep or maintain in unaltered condition; cause to remain or last

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading Later came the news of the late King's apostasy in the very article of death.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

whompronounUS /huːm/

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

winternounUS /ˈwɪntər/

the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox

From this reading And then, one Sunday morning of late winter, we heard from the pulpit of Drayton Parish Church how the King was dead, when was read to the congregation there assembled the speech to his Council of the new King, James, in which he did fairly promise to uphold the laws, and in especial to respect the rights of the Church of which he was the head, though no member.

YorknounUS /jɔːrk/

the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose

From this reading If these things were true of Charles, whom in some sort they had contrived to love, what should be looked for, said Emmet and those of his kidney, from him who, as Duke of York, was but lately the most hated and hateful of all in the three kingdoms?

Chapter 4 of The Sword of the King by Ronald MacDonald holds 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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 4 of The Sword of the King contain?

Chapter 4 holds 56 sentences of The Sword of the King, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of The Sword of the King by Ronald MacDonald exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 56 sentences, grouped into 12 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 4 of The Sword of the King?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Sword of the King

Common questions about reading The Sword of the King by Ronald MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Sword of the King?

Yes. All 3114 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #59873 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Sword of the King is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #59873, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Sword of the King take to read?

About 259 minutes of reading across 623 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Sword of the King section by section

How to work through The Sword of the King section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 21 chapters of The Sword of the King 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 Sword of the King

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Sword of the King, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Matter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sword of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Small
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sword of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Difficulty
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sword of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Hesitation
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Sword of the King; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.