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Freston Tower
Freston Tower

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Freston Tower is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Freston Tower
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE CONVERSATION.
It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.
Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.
Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.
The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Freston Tower

Chapter IV

Chapter 4 of Freston Tower is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/44 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE CONVERSATION.
/ðə ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/
Line 2
It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.
Line 3
Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.
/men ɑːr soʊ ˌenˈlaɪtənd ənd ˈsɪvəl ənd rɪˈlɪdʒəs ˈfriːdəm ɑːr soʊ ˈstrɔːŋli ɪˈstæblɪʃt ɪn ðɪs ˈkɪŋdəm ðæt noʊ wʌn ɪz əˈfreɪd ʌv ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪtɪŋ ˈeni səbˈdʒekt/
Line 4
Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.
Line 5
The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.
/ðə mæn huː lʌvz hɪz kaɪnd wɪl stænd ðə liːst ɪn ɑː ʌv deθ ɔːr ʌv ˈeni ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz ˌwʌˈtevər ərˈaɪzɪŋ frʌm ðæt pəˈzɪʃən ɪn wɪtʃ hɪz feɪθ ɪn ɡɑːd meɪ pleɪs hɪm/

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.

arising verb US /ərˈaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading “The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.”

awe noun US /ɑː/

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

From this reading “The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.”

consequences noun US /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/

plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading “The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.”

enlightened adjective US /ˌenˈlaɪtənd/

having knowledge and spiritual insight

From this reading “Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.”

investigating noun US /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪtɪŋ/

the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

From this reading “Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.”

persecutions noun US /ˌpɜːrsəˈkjuːʃəns/

plural of “persecution” — the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

From this reading “Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.”

predominate verb US /prɪˈdɑːməneɪt/

be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading “Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.”

prevented verb US /prɪˈventɪd/

past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading “It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.”

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.

arising from verb + particle counted as “arise from”

In this reading “The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.”

in awe preposition + noun

In this reading “The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.”

prevented from verb + particle counted as “prevent from”

In this reading “It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.”

All words in this reading · 78

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.

afraidadjectiveUS /əˈfreɪd/

filled with fear or apprehension

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

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 Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

arisingverbUS /ərˈaɪzɪŋ/

-ing form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

awenounUS /ɑː/

an overwhelming feeling of wonder or admiration

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

civiladjectiveUS /ˈsɪvəl/

applying to ordinary citizens as contrasted with the military

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

consequencesnounUS /ˈkɑːnsəkwensəz/

plural of “consequence” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

CONVERSATIONnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/

the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.

From this reading THE CONVERSATION.

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

discouragements

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

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

discoursing

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

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/

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

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

endnounUS /end/

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

enlightenedadjectiveUS /ˌenˈlaɪtənd/

having knowledge and spiritual insight

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

establishedadjectiveUS /ɪˈstæblɪʃt/

brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

faithnounUS /feɪθ/

a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

fearverbUS /fɪr/

be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

freedomnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

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 Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

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

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

investigatingnounUS /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪtɪŋ/

the work of inquiring into something thoroughly and systematically

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

kindadjectiveUS /kaɪnd/

having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

kingdomnounUS /ˈkɪŋdəm/

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

leastadjectiveUS /liːst/

the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

lovesnounUS /lʌvz/

plural of “love” — a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

man'snounUS /mænz/

possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

MennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

persecutionsnounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈkjuːʃəns/

plural of “persecution” — the act of persecuting (especially on the basis of race or religion)

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

physicaladjectiveUS /ˈfɪzɪkəl/

involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

politicaladjectiveUS /pəˈlɪtəkəl/

involving or characteristic of politics or parties or politicians

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

positionnounUS /pəˈzɪʃən/

the particular portion of space occupied by something

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

powernounUS /ˈpaʊər/

possession of controlling influence

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

predominateverbUS /prɪˈdɑːməneɪt/

be larger in number, quantity, power, status or importance

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/

past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

religiousadjectiveUS /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

requireverbUS /ˌriːˈkwaɪər/

require as useful, just, or proper

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

standverbUS /stænd/

be standing; be upright

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

stronglyadverbUS /ˈstrɔːŋli/

with strength or in a strong manner

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/

the subject matter of a conversation or discussion

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

supportnounUS /səˈpɔːrt/

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE CONVERSATION.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading Men are so enlightened, and civil and religious freedom are so strongly established in this kingdom, that no one is afraid of investigating any subject.

throughprepositionUS /θruː/

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

TruthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/

an old word for “to”

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/

a formal word for “on”

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

whateverdeterminerUS /ˌwʌˈtevər/

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The man who loves his kind will stand the least in awe of death, or of any consequences whatever arising from that position in which his faith in God may place him.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Truth does not require any power but that of God to support it, and having his, it will predominate unto the end, through all discouragements and persecutions.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It would be something strange in these days to find man's tongue, through fear, prevented from discoursing upon any subject, political, physical, or religious.

Chapter 4 of Freston Tower by Richard Cobbold holds 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Freston Tower contain?

Chapter 4 holds 224 sentences of Freston Tower, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Freston Tower by Richard Cobbold exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 224 sentences, grouped into 45 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 Freston Tower?

Work through the 45 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 45 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 Freston Tower

Common questions about reading Freston Tower by Richard Cobbold on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Freston Tower?

Yes. All 4816 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #76999 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Freston Tower is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #76999, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Freston Tower take to read?

About 401 minutes of reading across 964 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Freston Tower section by section

How to work through Freston Tower section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Freston Tower 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 Freston Tower

Words and structures a reader meets early in Freston Tower, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Times
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freston Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cardinal
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freston Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wolsey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freston Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Freston Tower; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.