Chapter 1 of The Way of the World is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.
Chapter I
Chapter 1 of The Way of the World is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
_Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR. _Sat._ i. 2, 37. —_Metuat doti deprensa_.—_Ibid_. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
Chapter 1 of The Way of the World is here in full — 281 sentences across 57 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.
Reading 1/56 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5
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.
a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
From this reading “TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.”
standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States
From this reading “_Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.”
worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect
From this reading “TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.”
negation of a word or group of words
From this reading “_Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.”
precisely, exactly
From this reading “TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.”
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
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.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2, 37.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 2, 37.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —_Metuat doti deprensa_.—_Ibid_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —_Metuat doti deprensa_.—_Ibid_.
a British peer ranking below a marquess and above a viscount
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
standard time in the 5th time zone west of Greenwich, reckoned at the 75th meridian; used in the eastern United States
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
worthy of being honored; entitled to honor and respect
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _Sat._ i.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —_Metuat doti deprensa_.—_Ibid_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading —_Metuat doti deprensa_.—_Ibid_.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
negation of a word or group of words
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
precisely, exactly
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading _Sat._ i.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE RALPH, EARL OF MOUNTAGUE, ETC.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Audire est operæ pretium_, _procedere recte_ _Qui mæchis non vultis_.—HOR.
Chapter 1 of The Way of the World by William Congreve holds 281 sentences, grouped into 57 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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.
Chapter 1 holds 281 sentences of The Way of the World, unabridged, divided into 57 reading sections.
This page carries chapter 1 of The Way of the World by William Congreve exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 281 sentences, grouped into 57 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.
Work through the 57 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.
Each of the 57 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.
Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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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Yes. All 1971 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1292 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.
Project Gutenberg eBook #1292, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.
About 164 minutes of reading across 395 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.
How to work through The Way of the World section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.
Choose one of the 7 chapters of The Way of the World to begin.
Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.
Words and structures a reader meets early in The Way of the World, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.
