Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2
Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2
Context Illustration Reading 1/9 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
HOME AGAIN.
The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."
When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.
And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.
The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."
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.

Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2

Chapter X · Chapter 10

Chapter 10 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 is here in full — 45 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/9 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
HOME AGAIN.
/hoʊm əˈɡen/
Line 2
The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."
Line 3
When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.
Line 4
And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.
Line 5
The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."
/ðə mæn huː siːz noʊ ˈbjuːti ɪn ɪts ˈpetəlz faɪndz noʊ pərˈfjuːm ɪn ɪts breθ meɪ wel əˈkɔːrd ɪt ðə ˈperəntədʒ ʌv ðə stoʊnz ðə mæn huːz hɑːrt swelz bɪˈhoʊldɪŋ ɪt wɪl biː ˈredi tuː θɪŋk ɪt hæz ruːts ðæt riːtʃ bɪˈloʊ ðem/

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.

beholding noun US /bɪˈhoʊldɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading “The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."”

crowning adjective US /ˈkraʊnɪŋ/

representing a level of the highest possible achievement or attainment

From this reading “And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.”

fretted adjective US /ˈfretɪd/

having frets

From this reading “The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."”

parentage noun US /ˈperəntədʒ/

the state of being a parent

From this reading “The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."”

petals noun US /ˈpetəlz/

plural of “petal” — part of the perianth that is usually brightly colored

From this reading “The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."”

rootless adjective US /ˈruːtləs/

wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community

From this reading “And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.”

swells noun US /swelz/

plural of “swell” — the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

From this reading “The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."”

symmetrical adjective US /səˈmetrɪkəl/

having similarity in size, shape, and relative position of corresponding parts

From this reading “And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.”

All words in this reading · 117

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 The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

accordverbUS /əˈkɔːrd/

go together

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

AGAINadverbUS /əˈɡen/

anew

From this reading HOME AGAIN.

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 And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

andeterminerUS /æn/

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

beholdingnounUS /bɪˈhoʊldɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

blazenounUS /bleɪz/

a strong flame that burns brightly

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

breathnounUS /breθ/

the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

brownnounUS /braʊn/

an orange of low brightness and saturation

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

congregationnounUS /ˌkɑːŋɡrəˈɡeɪʃən/

a group of people who adhere to a common faith and habitually attend a given church

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

crowningadjectiveUS /ˈkraʊnɪŋ/

representing a level of the highest possible achievement or attainment

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

curatenounUS /ˈkjʊrət/

a person authorized to conduct religious worship

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

demonnounUS /ˈdiːmən/

an evil supernatural being

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

dovenounUS /dʌv/

any of numerous small pigeons

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

draper's

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

EitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

enteredverbUS /ˈentərd/

past form of “enter” — to come or go into

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

fadedadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪdəd/

having lost freshness or brilliance of color

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

faradverbUS /fɑːr/

to a considerable degree; very much

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/

plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

findsnounUS /faɪndz/

plural of “find” — a productive insight

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/

start firing a weapon

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

fledverbUS /fled/

inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

flowernounUS /ˈflaʊər/

a plant cultivated for its blooms or blossoms

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

fouladjectiveUS /faʊl/

highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

frettedadjectiveUS /ˈfretɪd/

having frets

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

getverbUS /ɡet/

come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

glorynounUS /ˈɡlɔːri/

a state of high honor

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

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 And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

goldenadjectiveUS /ˈɡoʊldən/

having the deep slightly brownish color of gold

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

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

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

heapnounUS /hiːp/

a collection of objects laid on top of each other

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

heartnounUS /hɑːrt/

the locus of feelings and intuitions

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

heavenwardsadverb

toward heaven

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

HOMEnounUS /hoʊm/

where you live at a particular time

From this reading HOME AGAIN.

horizonnounUS /hərˈaɪzən/

the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

lovelinessnoun

the quality of being good looking and attractive

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

majestical

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

maymodal verbUS /meɪ/

used to say something is possible, or to give permission

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

neareradverbUS /ˈnɪrər/

(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

outadjectiveUS /aʊt/

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

parentagenounUS /ˈperəntədʒ/

the state of being a parent

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/

being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

perfumenounUS /pərˈfjuːm/

a distinctive odor that is pleasant

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

pestilentadjective

exceedingly harmful

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

petalsnounUS /ˈpetəlz/

plural of “petal” — part of the perianth that is usually brightly colored

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

poetrynounUS /ˈpoʊətri/

literature in metrical form

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

potsnounUS /pɑːts/

plural of “pot” — metal or earthenware cooking vessel that is usually round and deep; often has a handle and lid

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

reachverbUS /riːtʃ/

reach a destination, either real or abstract

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

reasonedadjectiveUS /ˈriːzənd/

logically valid

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

roofnounUS /ruːf/

a protective covering that covers or forms the top of a building

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

rootlessadjectiveUS /ˈruːtləs/

wandering aimlessly without ties to a place or community

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

rootsnounUS /ruːts/

the condition of belonging to a particular place or group by virtue of social or ethnic or cultural lineage

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

satnounUS /sæt/

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

seesnounUS /siːz/

plural of “see” — the seat within a bishop's diocese where his cathedral is located

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

shopverbUS /ʃɑːp/

do one's shopping

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

shouldersnounUS /ˈʃoʊldərz/

plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

silvernounUS /ˈsɪlvər/

a soft white precious univalent metallic element having the highest electrical and thermal conductivity of any metal; occurs in argentite and in free form; used in coins and jewelry and tableware and photography

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

somewhatadverbUS /ˈsʌmˈwʌt/

to a small degree or extent

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

sprungverbUS /sprʌŋ/

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

stonesnounUS /stoʊnz/

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

sunnounUS /sʌn/

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

sunsetnounUS /ˈsʌnset/

the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

swellsnounUS /swelz/

plural of “swell” — the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

symmetricaladjectiveUS /səˈmetrɪkəl/

having similarity in size, shape, and relative position of corresponding parts

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/

judge or regard; look upon; judge

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

twilightnounUS /ˈtwaɪlaɪt/

the time of day immediately following sunset

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

unbeliefnoun

a rejection of belief

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

unplantedadjective

not planted

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

unsownadjective

(of a piece of ground) not have a crop sown on it

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

vapoursnoun

a state of depression

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading And as he went he reasoned with himself-- "Either there is a God, and that God the perfect heart of truth and loveliness, or all poetry and art is but an unsown, unplanted, rootless flower, crowning a somewhat symmetrical heap of stones.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

westnounUS /west/

the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading The man who sees no beauty in its petals, finds no perfume in its breath, may well accord it the parentage of the stones; the man whose heart swells beholding it will be ready to think it has roots that reach below them."

wingsnounUS /wɪŋz/

a means of flight or ascent

From this reading When he left the shop, the sun was far below the horizon, and the glory had faded out of the west; but the demon had fled, and the brown feathers of the twilight were beautiful as the wings of the silver dove, sprung heavenwards from among the pots.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading The curate had entered the draper's shop in the full blaze of sunset, but the demon of unbelief sat on his shoulders; he could get no nearer his heart, but that was enough to make of the "majestical roof fretted with golden fire .... a foul and pestilent congregation of vapours."

Chapter 10 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 by George MacDonald holds 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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.

What does chapter 10 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 contain?

Chapter 10 holds 45 sentences of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 10 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 by George MacDonald exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 45 sentences, grouped into 9 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 10 of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 10 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 10 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 Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2

Common questions about reading Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 by George MacDonald on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2?

Yes. All 2698 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #5974 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #5974, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 take to read?

About 224 minutes of reading across 540 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 section by section

How to work through Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 34 chapters of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2 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 Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2

Words and structures a reader meets early in Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Rachel
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Uncle
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Nearly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Arrived
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Thomas Wingfold, Curate V2; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.