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Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2
Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/30 · 5 lines
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This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.
Will the people act against their own interest?
Or will the middle rank act against its own interest?
Or is the interest of the middle rank identical with the interest of the people?
If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2

Chapter XIV · Chapter 14

Chapter 14 of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 is here in full — 151 sentences across 31 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/30 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.
/ðɪs ˈsɪŋɡəl ˈpærəɡræf ɪz səˈfɪʃənt tuː əpˈset ˈmɪstər mɪlz ˈθɪri/
Line 2
Will the people act against their own interest?
/wɪl ðə ˈpiːpəl ækt əˈɡenst ðer oʊn ˈɪntrəst/
Line 3
Or will the middle rank act against its own interest?
/ɔːr wɪl ðə ˈmɪdəl ræŋk ækt əˈɡenst ɪts oʊn ˈɪntrəst/
Line 4
Or is the interest of the middle rank identical with the interest of the people?
/ɔːr ɪz ðə ˈɪntrəst ʌv ðə ˈmɪdəl ræŋk aɪˈdentɪkəl wɪð ðə ˈɪntrəst ʌv ðə ˈpiːpəl/
Line 5
If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.
/ɪf ðə ˈpiːpəl ækt əˈkɔːrdɪŋ tuː ðə dərˈekʃənz ʌv ðə ˈmɪdəl ræŋk æz ˈmɪstər mɪl sez ðæt ðeɪ əˈʃʊrədli wɪl wʌn ʌv ðiːz θriː ˈkwestʃənz mʌst biː ˈænsərd ɪn ðə əˈfɜːrmətɪv/

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.

affirmative adjective US /əˈfɜːrmətɪv/

affirming or giving assent

From this reading “If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.”

assuredly adverb US /əˈʃʊrədli/

without a doubt

From this reading “If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.”

directions noun US /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading “If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.”

identical adjective US /aɪˈdentɪkəl/

exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different

From this reading “Or is the interest of the middle rank identical with the interest of the people?”

Mill verb US /mɪl/

move about in a confused manner

From this reading “This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.”

Mill's noun US /mɪlz/

possessive form of “mill” — a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing

From this reading “This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.”

paragraph noun US /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading “This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.”

upset verb US /əpˈset/

disturb the balance or stability of

From this reading “This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.”

All words in this reading · 43

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.

accordingadjectiveUS /əˈkɔːrdɪŋ/

(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

actverbUS /ækt/

perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

affirmativeadjectiveUS /əˈfɜːrmətɪv/

affirming or giving assent

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

answeredverbUS /ˈænsərd/

past form of “answer” — react verbally

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

assuredlyadverbUS /əˈʃʊrədli/

without a doubt

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

directionsnounUS /dərˈekʃənz/

plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

identicaladjectiveUS /aɪˈdentɪkəl/

exactly alike; incapable of being perceived as different

From this reading Or is the interest of the middle rank identical with the interest of the people?

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Or will the middle rank act against its own interest?

middlenounUS /ˈmɪdəl/

an area that is approximately central within some larger region

From this reading Or will the middle rank act against its own interest?

MillverbUS /mɪl/

move about in a confused manner

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

Mill'snounUS /mɪlz/

possessive form of “mill” — a plant consisting of one or more buildings with facilities for manufacturing

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Or is the interest of the middle rank identical with the interest of the people?

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

OrconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Or will the middle rank act against its own interest?

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

paragraphnounUS /ˈpærəɡræf/

one of several distinct subdivisions of a text intended to separate ideas; the beginning is usually marked by a new indented line

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

questionsnounUS /ˈkwestʃənz/

plural of “question” — an instance of questioning

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

ranknounUS /ræŋk/

a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another

From this reading Or will the middle rank act against its own interest?

saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

singleadjectiveUS /ˈsɪŋɡəl/

being or characteristic of a single thing or person

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

sufficientadjectiveUS /səˈfɪʃənt/

of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

theorynounUS /ˈθɪri/

a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

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

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading If the people act according to the directions of the middle rank, as Mr Mill says that they assuredly will, one of these three questions must be answered in the affirmative.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

upsetverbUS /əpˈset/

disturb the balance or stability of

From this reading This single paragraph is sufficient to upset Mr Mill's theory.

Willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Will the people act against their own interest?

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Or is the interest of the middle rank identical with the interest of the people?

Chapter 14 of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 by Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron Macaulay holds 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 14 of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 contain?

Chapter 14 holds 151 sentences of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2, unabridged, divided into 31 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 14 of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 by Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron Macaulay exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 151 sentences, grouped into 31 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 14 of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2?

Work through the 31 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 31 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 14 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 14 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.

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Common questions about reading Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2 by Thomas Babington Macaulay, Baron Macaulay on this page, its source edition and its audio.

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Yes. All 5982 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #2168 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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Project Gutenberg eBook #2168, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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About 498 minutes of reading across 1197 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2

Words and structures a reader meets early in Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Miscellaneous
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Writings
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Speeches
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Macaulay
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Miscellaneous Writings and Speeches — Volume 2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.