Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
A Miscellany of Men
A Miscellany of Men

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of A Miscellany of Men is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for A Miscellany of Men
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.
It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.
This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.
It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.
But such is the sentiment, simply because such is the fact.
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.

A Miscellany of Men

Chapter XIII · Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of A Miscellany of Men is here in full — 161 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.
Line 2
It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.
/ɪt ɪz ðæt ðə ˈpaʊərz ʌv ðɪs wɜːrld ɑːr naʊ nɑːt ˈtrʌstɪd ˈsɪmpli bɪˈkɔːz ðeɪ ɑːr nɑːt ˈtrʌstwɜːrði/
Line 3
This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.
Line 4
It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.
/ɪt dʌz nɑːt ˈfɑːloʊ ðæt wiː θɪŋk sʌtʃ ə dɪˈstrʌst ə waɪz ˈsentəmənt tuː ɪkˈspres ɪt dʌz nɑːt ˈiːvɪn ˈfɑːloʊ ðæt wiː θɪŋk ɪt ə ɡʊd ˈsentəmənt tuː ˌentərˈteɪn/
Line 5
But such is the sentiment, simply because such is the fact.
/bʌt sʌtʃ ɪz ðə ˈsentəmənt ˈsɪmpli bɪˈkɔːz sʌtʃ ɪz ðə fækt/

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.

distrust noun US /dɪˈstrʌst/

doubt about someone's honesty

From this reading “It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.”

entertain verb US /ˌentərˈteɪn/

provide entertainment for

From this reading “It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.”

passions noun US /ˈpæʃənz/

plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading “This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.”

realities noun US /ˌriːˈælətiːz/

plural of “reality” — all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

From this reading “THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.”

reference noun US /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading “This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.”

root noun US /ruːt/

(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

From this reading “THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.”

stated adjective US /ˈsteɪtɪd/

declared as fact; explicitly stated

From this reading “THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.”

trustworthy adjective US /ˈtrʌstwɜːrði/

worthy of trust or belief

From this reading “It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.”

All words in this reading · 60

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 MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

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 THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/

for the reason that

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But such is the sentiment, simply because such is the fact.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

cannot

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

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

clearlyadverbUS /ˈklɪrli/

without doubt or question

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

distrustnounUS /dɪˈstrʌst/

doubt about someone's honesty

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

entertainverbUS /ˌentərˈteɪn/

provide entertainment for

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/

divisible by two

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

expressverbUS /ɪkˈspres/

give expression to

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

factnounUS /fækt/

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

followverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊ/

to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

MANnounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

ONprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

partisanships

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

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/

plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

powersnounUS /ˈpaʊərz/

plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

realitiesnounUS /ˌriːˈælətiːz/

plural of “reality” — all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

referencenounUS /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

rootnounUS /ruːt/

(botany) the usually underground organ that lacks buds or leaves or nodes; absorbs water and mineral salts; usually it anchors the plant to the ground

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

sentimentnounUS /ˈsentəmənt/

tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

severaladjectiveUS /ˈsevrəl/

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

simplyadverbUS /ˈsɪmpli/

and nothing more

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

statedadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪtɪd/

declared as fact; explicitly stated

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

to-day

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

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

TOPnounUS /tɑːp/

the upper part of anything

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

trustedadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌstɪd/

(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

trustworthyadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌstwɜːrði/

worthy of trust or belief

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading THE MAN ON TOP There is a fact at the root of all realities to-day which cannot be stated too simply.

wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/

having or prompted by wisdom or discernment

From this reading It does not follow that we think such a distrust a wise sentiment to express; it does not even follow that we think it a good sentiment to entertain.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading This can be quite clearly seen and said without any reference to our several passions or partisanships.

worldnounUS /wɜːrld/

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading It is that the powers of this world are now not trusted simply because they are not trustworthy.

Chapter 13 of A Miscellany of Men by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton holds 161 sentences, grouped into 33 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 13 of A Miscellany of Men contain?

Chapter 13 holds 161 sentences of A Miscellany of Men, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 13 of A Miscellany of Men by G. K. (Gilbert Keith) Chesterton exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 161 sentences, grouped into 33 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 13 of A Miscellany of Men?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 13 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 13 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, a public-domain edition. 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.