text_original: The world had been conquered at the first by troops of citizens, serving only on short campaigns ; and in after years the needy soldiers of the later commonwealth were in great measure fed and pensioned out of the plunder of the provinces : but the standing armies now encamped upon the borders of the empire, though small if measured by the standard of our modern life, were large enough to make their maintenance a problem somewhat hard to solve.
text_transcription: THE WORLD HAD BEEN CONQUERED AT THE FIRST BY TROOPS OF CITIZENS SERVING ONLY ON SHORT CAMPAIGNS AND IN AFTER YEARS THE NEEDY SOLDIERS OF THE LATER COMMONWEALTH WERE IN GREAT MEASURE FED AND PENSIONED OUT OF THE PLUNDER OF THE PROVINCES BUT THE STANDING ARMIES NOW ENCAMPED UPON THE BORDERS OF THE EMPIRE THOUGH SMALL IF MEASURED BY THE STANDARD OF OUR MODERN LIFE WERE LARGE ENOUGH TO MAKE THEIR MAINTENANCE A PROBLEM SOMEWHAT HARD TO SOLVE
phonemes: ðə wˈɜːld hɐdbɪn kˈɑːŋkɚd æt ðə fˈɜːst baɪ tɹˈuːps ʌv sˈɪɾɪzənz, sˈɜːvɪŋ ˈoʊnli ˌɔn ʃˈɔːɹt kæmpˈeɪnz ; ænd ɪn ˈæftɚ jˈɪɹz ðə nˈiːdi sˈoʊldʒɚz ʌvðə lˈeɪɾɚ kˈɑːmənwˌɛlθ wɜːɹ ɪn ɡɹˈeɪt mˈɛʒɚ fˈɛd ænd pˈɛnʃənd ˌaʊɾəv ðə plˈʌndɚɹ ʌvðə pɹˈɑːvɪnsᵻz : bˌʌt ðə stˈændɪŋ ˈɑːɹmiz nˈaʊ ɛŋkˈæmpt əpˌɑːn ðə bˈɔːɹdɚz ʌvðɪ ˈɛmpaɪɚ, ðˌoʊ smˈɔːl ɪf mˈɛʒɚd baɪ ðə stˈændɚd ʌv ˌaʊɚ mˈɑːdɚn lˈaɪf, wɜː lˈɑːɹdʒ ɪnˈʌf tə mˌeɪk ðɛɹ mˈeɪntənəns ɐ pɹˈɑːbləm sˈʌmwʌt hˈɑːɹd tə sˈɑːlv.