Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
All Sorts and Conditions of Men
All Sorts and Conditions of Men

Chapter XXXV

Chapter 35 of All Sorts and Conditions of Men is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Walter Besant • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for All Sorts and Conditions of Men
Context Illustration Reading 1/84 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.
The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.
We expect too much of old men.
Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.
One says, "Good heavens!
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.

All Sorts and Conditions of Men

Chapter XXXV

Chapter 35 of All Sorts and Conditions of Men is here in full — 424 sentences across 85 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/84 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.
/nɑːt dʒoʊˈsiːfəs bʌt əˈnʌðər/
Line 2
The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.
Line 3
We expect too much of old men.
/wiː ɪkˈspekt tuː mʌtʃ ʌv oʊld men/
Line 4
Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.
/kənˈsɪdərɪŋ ðer jɪrz wiː θɪŋk ðer ˌrekəˈlekʃənz mʌst biː ˈwʌndərfəl/
Line 5
One says, "Good heavens!
/wʌn sez ɡʊd ˈhevənz/

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.

attractions noun US /əˈtrækʃənz/

plural of “attraction” — the force by which one object attracts another

From this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
converse verb US /ˈkɑːnvərs/

carry on a conversation

From this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discontented adjective US /ˌdɪskənˈtentɪd/

showing or experiencing dissatisfaction or restless longing

From this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
josephus noun US /dʒoʊˈsiːfəs/

Jewish general who led the revolt of the Jews against the Romans and then wrote a history of those events (37-100)

From this reading “NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lasting adjective US /ˈlæstɪŋ/

continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place

From this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
monotonous adjective US /məˈnɑːtənəs/

tediously repetitious or lacking in variety

From this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
peopled adjective US /ˈpiːpəld/

furnished with people

From this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recollections noun US /ˌrekəˈlekʃənz/

plural of “recollection” — the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading “Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.”

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.

old man adjective + noun

a man who is very old

In this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

132,882 times in 225,867 chapters
converse with verb + particle

In this reading “The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.”

8,586 times in 225,867 chapters
old men adjective + noun

In this reading “We expect too much of old men.”

6,926 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 50

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 attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANOTHERdeterminerUS /əˈnʌðər/

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
attractionsnounUS /əˈtrækʃənz/

plural of “attraction” — the force by which one object attracts another

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/

third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
BUTconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ConsideringverbUS /kənˈsɪdərɪŋ/

-ing form of “consider” — deem to be

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
converseverbUS /ˈkɑːnvərs/

carry on a conversation

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
discontentedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪskənˈtentɪd/

showing or experiencing dissatisfaction or restless longing

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
expectverbUS /ɪkˈspekt/

regard something as probable or likely

From this reading We expect too much of old men.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
figure-heads

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Pending verification
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ghostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading One says, "Good heavens!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
heavensnounUS /ˈhevənz/

the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected

From this reading One says, "Good heavens!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
JOSEPHUSnounUS /dʒoʊˈsiːfəs/

Jewish general who led the revolt of the Jews against the Romans and then wrote a history of those events (37-100)

From this reading NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lastingadjectiveUS /ˈlæstɪŋ/

continuing or enduring without marked change in status or condition or place

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
likelyadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪkli/

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading We expect too much of old men.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
monotonousadjectiveUS /məˈnɑːtənəs/

tediously repetitious or lacking in variety

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading We expect too much of old men.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
NOTadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading NOT JOSEPHUS, BUT ANOTHER.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
peopledadjectiveUS /ˈpiːpəld/

furnished with people

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
personallyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrsənəli/

as yourself

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
recollectionsnounUS /ˌrekəˈlekʃənz/

plural of “recollection” — the ability to recall past occurrences

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading One says, "Good heavens!

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

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 attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tooadverbUS /tuː/

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading We expect too much of old men.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We expect too much of old men.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wonderfuladjectiveUS /ˈwʌndərfəl/

extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yardnounUS /jɑːrd/

a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride

From this reading The attractions of a yard peopled with ghosts, discontented figure-heads, and an old man, are great at first, but not likely to be lasting if one does not personally see or converse with the ghosts and if the old man becomes monotonous.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading Considering their years, we think their recollections must be wonderful.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 35 of All Sorts and Conditions of Men by Walter Besant holds 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 35 of All Sorts and Conditions of Men contain?

Chapter 35 holds 424 sentences of All Sorts and Conditions of Men, unabridged, divided into 85 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 35 of All Sorts and Conditions of Men by Walter Besant exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 424 sentences, grouped into 85 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 35 of All Sorts and Conditions of Men?

Work through the 85 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 85 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 35 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 35 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 All Sorts and Conditions of Men

Common questions about reading All Sorts and Conditions of Men by Walter Besant on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of All Sorts and Conditions of Men?

Yes. All 9372 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #47098 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of All Sorts and Conditions of Men is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #47098, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does All Sorts and Conditions of Men take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 1875 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read All Sorts and Conditions of Men section by section

How to work through All Sorts and Conditions of Men section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of All Sorts and Conditions 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 All Sorts and Conditions of Men

Words and structures a reader meets early in All Sorts and Conditions of Men, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Preface
A word that appears in the opening chapter of All Sorts and Conditions of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Years'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of All Sorts and Conditions of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Partnership
A word that appears in the opening chapter of All Sorts and Conditions of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Myself
A word that appears in the opening chapter of All Sorts and Conditions of Men; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.