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What a Man Wills
What a Man Wills

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of What a Man Wills is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By George de Horne, Mrs. Vaizey • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for What a Man Wills
Context Illustration Reading 1/78 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.
________________________________________________________________________ WHAT A MAN WILLS, BY MRS GEORGE DE HORNE VAIZEY.
CHAPTER ONE.
AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.
The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.
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.

What a Man Wills

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of What a Man Wills is here in full — 391 sentences across 79 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.
Line 2
________________________________________________________________________ WHAT A MAN WILLS, BY MRS GEORGE DE HORNE VAIZEY.
Line 3
CHAPTER ONE.
/ˈtʃæptər wʌn/
Line 4
AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.
/æt ðə ˈdaɪɪŋ ʌv ðə jɪr/
Line 5
The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

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.

clanging adjective US /ˈklæŋɪŋ/

having a loud resonant metallic sound

From this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
danced verb US /dænst/

past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way

From this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
festivities noun US /feˈstɪvətiz/

plural of “festivity” — any joyous diversion

From this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Horne noun US /hɔːrn/

United States operatic mezzo-soprano (born 1934)

From this reading “What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Manor noun US /ˈmænər/

the mansion of a lord or wealthy person

From this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sung noun US /sʌŋ/

the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy

From this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
widening noun US /ˈwaɪdənɪŋ/

an increase in width

From this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Wills noun US /wɪlz/

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

From this reading “What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.”

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.

widening circle noun + noun

In this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

173 times in 225,867 chapters
in the hall preposition + article + noun counted as “in … hall”

In this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

19,191 times in 225,867 chapters
old country adjective + noun

the country of origin of an immigrant

In this reading “The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.”

2,479 times in 225,867 chapters

All words in this reading · 41

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 What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bellsnounUS /belz/

plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CHAPTERnounUS /ˈtʃæptər/

a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
church-tower

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

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Pending verification
circlenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəl/

ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
clangingadjectiveUS /ˈklæŋɪŋ/

having a loud resonant metallic sound

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
countrynounUS /ˈkʌntri/

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
dancedverbUS /dænst/

past form of “dance” — move in a graceful and rhythmical way

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
denounUS /diː/

a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
DYINGadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
festivitiesnounUS /feˈstɪvətiz/

plural of “festivity” — any joyous diversion

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/

Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
guestsnounUS /ɡests/

plural of “guest” — a visitor to whom hospitality is extended

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
hallnounUS /hɔːl/

an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
HornenounUS /hɔːrn/

United States operatic mezzo-soprano (born 1934)

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
listeningnounUS /ˈlɪsənɪŋ/

the act of hearing attentively

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ManornounUS /ˈmænər/

the mansion of a lord or wealthy person

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MrsnounUS /ˈmɪsɪz/

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nearadverbUS /nɪr/

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/

not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ONEpronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading CHAPTER ONE.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
stoodverbUS /stʊd/

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora curated lexicon
sungnounUS /sʌŋ/

the imperial dynasty of China from 960 to 1279; noted for art and literature and philosophy

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
Vaizey

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

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

Pending verification
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
wideningnounUS /ˈwaɪdənɪŋ/

an increase in width

From this reading The New Year festivities were over; in the hall of the old country Manor the guests had danced and sung, had stood hand in hand in a widening circle, listening to the clanging of bells in the church-tower near by.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WillsnounUS /wɪlz/

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

From this reading What a Man Wills, by Mrs George de Horne Vaizey.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
YEARnounUS /jɪr/

a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days

From this reading AT THE DYING OF THE YEAR.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of What a Man Wills by George de Horne, Mrs. Vaizey holds 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 1 of What a Man Wills contain?

Chapter 1 holds 391 sentences of What a Man Wills, unabridged, divided into 79 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of What a Man Wills by George de Horne, Mrs. Vaizey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 391 sentences, grouped into 79 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 1 of What a Man Wills?

Work through the 79 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 79 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 1 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading What a Man Wills

Common questions about reading What a Man Wills by George de Horne, Mrs. Vaizey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of What a Man Wills?

Yes. All 4832 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #32935 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of What a Man Wills is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #32935, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does What a Man Wills take to read?

About 402 minutes of reading across 967 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read What a Man Wills section by section

How to work through What a Man Wills section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 12 chapters of What a Man Wills 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 What a Man Wills

Words and structures a reader meets early in What a Man Wills, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Wills
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What a Man Wills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What a Man Wills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Horne
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What a Man Wills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Vaizey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of What a Man Wills; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.