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The Queen's Quair
The Queen's Quair

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of The Queen's Quair is here in full — 224 sentences across 45 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Maurice Hewlett • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for The Queen's Quair
Context Illustration Reading 1/44 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’
‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.
‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’
‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’
Paris swung a boot.
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.

The Queen's Quair

Chapter XXV

Chapter 25 of The Queen's Quair 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
SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’
Line 2
‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.
/hɑː ɪn ə ɡʊd ˈaʊər sez ˈperɪs ə buːt ɪn iːtʃ hænd/
Line 3
‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’
/ənd tuː wʌt ˈbɪznəs wɪl jɔːr ˈlɔːrdʃɪp biː pliːzd tuː ɡoʊ/
Line 4
‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’
Line 5
Paris swung a boot.
/ˈperɪs swʌŋ ə buːt/

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.

boot noun US /buːt/

footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading “‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
boots noun US /buːts/

plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading “SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carving noun US /ˈkɑːrvɪŋ/

a sculpture created by removing material (as wood or ivory or stone) in order to create a desired shape

From this reading “‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearing noun US /ˈklɪrɪŋ/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading “‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Earl noun US /ɜːrl/

a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading “SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
lordship noun US /ˈlɔːrdʃɪp/

a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge

From this reading “‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Paris noun US /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading “SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
swung verb US /swʌŋ/

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading “Paris swung a boot.”

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.

took off verb + particle counted as “take off”

leave

In this reading “SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’”

22,559 times in 426,211 chapters
In the morning preposition + article + noun counted as “in … morning”

In this reading “SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’”

71,997 times in 426,211 chapters
same night adjective + noun

In this reading “SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’”

2,435 times in 426,211 chapters

All words in this reading · 48

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 ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bootnounUS /buːt/

footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bootsnounUS /buːts/

plural of “boot” — footwear that covers the whole foot and lower leg

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Bothwell

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Pending verification
BUSINESSnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
carvingnounUS /ˈkɑːrvɪŋ/

a sculpture created by removing material (as wood or ivory or stone) in order to create a desired shape

From this reading ‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/

a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area

From this reading ‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
EarlnounUS /ɜːrl/

a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
foolnounUS /fuːl/

a person who lacks good judgment

From this reading ‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HanounUS /hɑː/

(astronomy) the angular distance of a celestial point measured westward along the celestial equator from the zenith crossing; the right ascension for an observer at a particular location and time of day

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/

a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
InprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
lordshipnounUS /ˈlɔːrdʃɪp/

a title used to address any British peer except a duke and extended to a bishop or a judge

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Man'snounUS /mænz/

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

From this reading ‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
morningnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋ/

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nightnounUS /naɪt/

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
offadverbUS /ɔːf/

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pleasedadjectiveUS /pliːzd/

experiencing or manifesting pleasure

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
road-making

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

From this reading ‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’

Pending verification
saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora curated lexicon
saysnounUS /sez/

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading ‘Ha, in a good hour!’ says Paris, a boot in each hand.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SCOTCHMEN'S

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Pending verification
swungverbUS /swʌŋ/

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading Paris swung a boot.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
threwverbUS /θruː/

inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading SCOTCHMEN’S BUSINESS When the Earl of Bothwell took off his boots that same night, he said, as he threw them to his man Paris, ‘In the morning we go to business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ‘Man’s business, you fool,’ says the Earl; ‘carving and clearing business; road-making business.’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading ‘And to what business will your lordship be pleased to go?’

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Chapter 25 of The Queen's Quair by Maurice Hewlett 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 25 of The Queen's Quair contain?

Chapter 25 holds 224 sentences of The Queen's Quair, unabridged, divided into 45 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 25 of The Queen's Quair by Maurice Hewlett 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 25 of The Queen's Quair?

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 25 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 25 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 The Queen's Quair

Common questions about reading The Queen's Quair by Maurice Hewlett on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Queen's Quair?

Yes. All 11913 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61466 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Queen's Quair is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #61466, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Queen's Quair take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2383 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Queen's Quair section by section

How to work through The Queen's Quair section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 37 chapters of The Queen's Quair 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 The Queen's Quair

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Queen's Quair, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Improbus
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Quair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Crudelis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Quair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Quoque
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Quair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Mater
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Queen's Quair; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.