A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Gail Hamilton • Curated US English Learning Edition

Chapter 1 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use by Gail Hamilton holds 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use contain?

Chapter 1 holds 440 sentences of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use, unabridged, divided into 88 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use by Gail Hamilton exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 440 sentences, grouped into 88 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 A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use?

Work through the 88 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 88 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.

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Common questions about reading A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use by Gail Hamilton on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use?

Yes. All 2994 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #54380 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #54380, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use take to read?

About 249 minutes of reading across 599 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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Vocabulary met early in A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use

Words and structures a reader meets early in A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Hamilton: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Cited: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Author: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Alias: A word that appears in the opening chapter of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Cover illustration for A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

BIGLOW PAPERS.

Narrator

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.

Chapter I Reading 1/88

A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use

Chapter I

Chapter 1 of A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use is here in full — 440 sentences across 88 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/88 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

Line 2

A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Line 3

TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Line 4

"Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

Line 5

BIGLOW PAPERS.

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, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Per preposition US /pɜːr/

for each

From this reading “"Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"”

All words in this reading · 55

Every word is available to listen to. 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 A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Abigail

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

alias

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

author

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

big

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

BIGLOW

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

From this reading BIGLOW PAPERS.

book

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

BOTHdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

care

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

cent

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

changes

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

cited

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

CORRECTION

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

didn't

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

DOCTRINE

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Dodge

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

dreffle

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

end

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

fig

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

FIRST

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

FORprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

found

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Gail

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

Hamilton

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

honor

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

INprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

INSTRUCTION

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

jest

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

John

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

list

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

made

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

From this reading A list of the changes made can be found at the end of the book.

Mary

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

meant

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

PAPERS

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

From this reading BIGLOW PAPERS.

perprepositionUS /pɜːr/

for each

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

REPROOF

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

RIGHTEOUSNESS

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

SECOND

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

talk

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

ten

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading Gail Hamilton, cited as author, is the alias of Mary Abigail Dodge.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TO THE FIRST FOR DOCTRINE, TO THE SECOND FOR REPROOF, TO BOTH FOR CORRECTION AND FOR INSTRUCTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

Why

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

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

YoupronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading "Why talk so dreffle big, John, Of honor, when it meant You didn't care a fig, John, But jest for _ten per cent_?"

Chapter I

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Vocabulary met early in A Battle of the Books, Recorded by an Unknown Writer for the Use