Complete classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Vale of Cedars
The Vale of Cedars

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Vale of Cedars is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Vale of Cedars
Context Illustration Reading 1/14 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
"Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!
Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.
What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!
What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!
Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."
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 Vale of Cedars

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of The Vale of Cedars is here in full — 72 sentences across 15 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/14 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
"Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!
/oʊ ˈblɪsfəl deɪz wen ɔːl men ˈwɜːrʃəp ɡɑːd æz ˈkɑːnʃəns wɪlz/
Line 2
Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.
Line 3
What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!
Line 4
What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!
Line 5
Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

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.

blissful adjective US /ˈblɪsfəl/

completely happy and contented

From this reading “"Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!”

constancy noun US /ˈkɑːnstənsi/

the quality of being enduring and free from change or variation

From this reading “Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."”

History's noun US /ˈhɪstəriz/

possessive form of “history” — the aggregate of past events

From this reading “Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."”

latest adjective US /ˈleɪtəst/

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

From this reading “Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."”

stigmatize verb US /ˈstɪɡmətaɪz/

to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

From this reading “What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!”

tho noun US /ðoʊ/

a branch of the Tai languages

From this reading “What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!”

wills noun US /wɪlz/

plural of “will” — the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention

From this reading “"Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!”

worldly adjective US /ˈwɜːrldli/

characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world

From this reading “What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!”

All words in this reading · 62

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.

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 "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

blissfuladjectiveUS /ˈblɪsfəl/

completely happy and contented

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

brightadjectiveUS /braɪt/

emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

consciencenounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəns/

motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

constancynounUS /ˈkɑːnstənsi/

the quality of being enduring and free from change or variation

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

daredverbUS /derd/

past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

daysnounUS /deɪz/

the time during which someone's life continues

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

deathnounUS /deθ/

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

deedsnounUS /diːdz/

performance of moral or religious acts

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

famenounUS /feɪm/

the state or quality of being widely honored and acclaimed

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

FaradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/

plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

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 "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

grandsires

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

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

hathauxiliary verbUS /hæθ/

an old form of “has”

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

History'snounUS /ˈhɪstəriz/

possessive form of “history” — the aggregate of past events

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

knewverbUS /nuː/

inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

latestadjectiveUS /ˈleɪtəst/

up to the immediate present; most recent or most up-to-date

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

LawnounUS /lɔː/

the collection of rules imposed by authority

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

liveverbUS /laɪv/

be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

mindsnounUS /maɪndz/

plural of “mind” — that which is responsible for one's thoughts, feelings, and conscious brain functions; the seat of the faculty of reason

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

OhnounUS /oʊ/

a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

pagenounUS /peɪdʒ/

one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

pictur'd

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

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

recordnounUS /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

ReligionnounUS /rɪˈlɪdʒən/

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

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

scornnounUS /skɔːrn/

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

sister-cause

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

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

skeptic's

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

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

soilnounUS /sɔɪl/

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

stigmatizeverbUS /ˈstɪɡmətaɪz/

to accuse or condemn or openly or formally or brand as disgraceful

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

Superstition's

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

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

ThesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

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

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

thonounUS /ðoʊ/

a branch of the Tai languages

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

timesnounUS /taɪmz/

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading Far other times our fathers' grandsires knew.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

tonguenounUS /tʌŋ/

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

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

tortureverbUS /ˈtɔːrtʃər/

torment emotionally or mentally

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

Tradition's

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

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What tho' the skeptic's scorn hath dared to soil The record of their fame!

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

willsnounUS /wɪlz/

plural of “will” — the capability of conscious choice and decision and intention

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

WithprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

worldlyadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrldli/

characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world

From this reading What tho' the men Of worldly minds have dared to stigmatize The sister-cause Religion and the Law With Superstition's name!

worshipverbUS /ˈwɜːrʃəp/

love unquestioningly and uncritically or to excess; venerate as an idol

From this reading "Oh! blissful days, When all men worship God as conscience wills!

YetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading Yet, yet their deeds, Their constancy in torture and in death-- These on Tradition's tongue shall live; these shall On History's honest page be pictur'd bright To latest time."

Chapter 23 of The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar holds 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 23 of The Vale of Cedars contain?

Chapter 23 holds 72 sentences of The Vale of Cedars, unabridged, divided into 15 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 72 sentences, grouped into 15 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 23 of The Vale of Cedars?

Work through the 15 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 15 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 Vale of Cedars

Common questions about reading The Vale of Cedars by Grace Aguilar on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Vale of Cedars?

Yes. All 3335 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12725 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Vale of Cedars is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12725, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Vale of Cedars take to read?

About 277 minutes of reading across 667 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Vale of Cedars section by section

How to work through The Vale of Cedars section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 35 chapters of The Vale of Cedars 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 Vale of Cedars

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Vale of Cedars, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Parted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Closed
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Again
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Leaving
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Vale of Cedars; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.