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A Miscellany of Men
A Miscellany of Men

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of A Miscellany of Men is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Miscellany of Men
Context Illustration Reading 1/29 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.
I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.
Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.
Forged bank-notes mean nothing if there are no real bank-notes.
Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

A Miscellany of Men

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of A Miscellany of Men is here in full — 149 sentences across 30 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/29 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.
/əˈbaʊt ɔːl ðiːz mɪθs maɪ oʊn pəˈzɪʃən ɪz ˈʌtərli ənd ˈiːvɪn ˈsædli ˈsɪmpəl/
Line 2
I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.
Line 3
Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.
/ˈtɜːrnəp ɡoʊsts miːn ˈnʌθɪŋ ɪf ðer ɑːr noʊ riːl ɡoʊsts/
Line 4
Forged bank-notes mean nothing if there are no real bank-notes.
Line 5
Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.
/ˈhiːðən ɡɑːdz miːn ˈnʌθɪŋ ənd mʌst ˈɔːlweɪz miːn ˈnʌθɪŋ tuː ðoʊz ʌv ʌs ðæt dɪˈnaɪ ðə ˈkrɪstʃən ɡɑːd/

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.

deny verb US /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

From this reading “Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.”

Forged adjective US /fɔːrdʒd/

reproduced fraudulently

From this reading “Forged bank-notes mean nothing if there are no real bank-notes.”

ghosts noun US /ɡoʊsts/

plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading “Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.”

Heathen noun US /ˈhiːðən/

a person who does not acknowledge your god

From this reading “Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.”

myth noun US /mɪθ/

a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

From this reading “I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.”

myths noun US /mɪθs/

plural of “myth” — a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

From this reading “About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.”

sadly adverb US /ˈsædli/

in an unfortunate way

From this reading “About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.”

Turnip noun US /ˈtɜːrnəp/

widely cultivated plant having a large fleshy edible white or yellow root

From this reading “Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.”

All words in this reading · 52

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 I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

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 About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/

at all times; all the time and on every occasion

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

bank-notes

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

From this reading Forged bank-notes mean nothing if there are no real bank-notes.

cannot

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

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

ChristianadjectiveUS /ˈkrɪstʃən/

relating to or characteristic of Christianity

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

denyverbUS /dɪˈnaɪ/

declare untrue; contradict

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

ForgedadjectiveUS /fɔːrdʒd/

reproduced fraudulently

From this reading Forged bank-notes mean nothing if there are no real bank-notes.

foundverbUS /faʊnd/

set up or found

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

ghostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/

plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

GodnounUS /ɡɑːd/

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

godsnounUS /ɡɑːdz/

plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

HeathennounUS /ˈhiːðən/

a person who does not acknowledge your god

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

mythnounUS /mɪθ/

a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

mythsnounUS /mɪθs/

plural of “myth” — a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

realadjectiveUS /riːl/

being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/

in accordance with truth or fact or reality

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

sadlyadverbUS /ˈsædli/

in an unfortunate way

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

simpleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪmpəl/

having few parts; not complex or complicated or involved

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

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

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

tillprepositionUS /tɪl/

up to a particular time

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

TurnipnounUS /ˈtɜːrnəp/

widely cultivated plant having a large fleshy edible white or yellow root

From this reading Turnip ghosts mean nothing if there are no real ghosts.

understandverbUS /ˌʌndərˈstænd/

know and comprehend the nature or meaning of

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Heathen gods mean nothing, and must always mean nothing, to those of us that deny the Christian God.

utterlyadverbUS /ˈʌtərli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading About all these myths my own position is utterly and even sadly simple.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I say you cannot really understand any myths till you have found that one of them is not a myth.

Chapter 7 of A Miscellany of Men by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton holds 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 7 of A Miscellany of Men contain?

Chapter 7 holds 149 sentences of A Miscellany of Men, unabridged, divided into 30 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of A Miscellany of Men by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 149 sentences, grouped into 30 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 7 of A Miscellany of Men?

Work through the 30 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 30 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 A Miscellany of Men

Common questions about reading A Miscellany of Men by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Miscellany of Men?

Yes. All 2309 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2015 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Miscellany of Men is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #2015, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Miscellany of Men take to read?

About 192 minutes of reading across 462 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read A Miscellany of Men section by section

How to work through A Miscellany of Men section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 15 chapters of A Miscellany of Men 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 A Miscellany of Men

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Miscellany of Men, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Mystagogue
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Miscellany of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Reactionary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Miscellany of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Separatist
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Miscellany of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sacred
A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Miscellany of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.