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Aurelian
Aurelian

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Aurelian is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Aurelian
Context Illustration Reading 1/57 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.
I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.
It were strange indeed if you did not.
But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.
First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Aurelian

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Aurelian is here in full — 288 sentences across 58 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/57 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.
Line 2
I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.
Line 3
It were strange indeed if you did not.
/ɪt wɜːr streɪndʒ ˌɪnˈdiːd ɪf juː dɪd nɑːt/
Line 4
But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.
/bʌt æz fɔːr moʊst ʌv ˈaʊər mɪsˈdiːdz wiː hæv ɪksˈkjuːsɪz ˈredi æt hænd soʊ hæv aɪ fɔːr ðɪs/
Line 5
First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

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.

complain verb US /kəmˈpleɪn/

express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

From this reading “I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.”

excuses noun US /ɪksˈkjuːsɪz/

plural of “excuse” — a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.

From this reading “But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.”

fail verb US /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading “First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.”

ignorant adjective US /ˈɪɡnərənt/

uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication

From this reading “First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.”

misdeeds noun US /mɪsˈdiːdz/

plural of “misdeed” — improper or wicked or immoral behavior

From this reading “But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.”

neglect verb US /nəˈɡlekt/

leave undone or leave out

From this reading “First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.”

regularity noun US /ˌreɡjəˈlerəti/

a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles

From this reading “First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.”

supplied verb US /səˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading “First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.”

All words in this reading · 69

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.

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

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 First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

complainverbUS /kəmˈpleɪn/

express complaints, discontent, displeasure, or unhappiness

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

concerningverbUS /kənˈsɜːrnɪŋ/

-ing form of “concern” — be relevant to

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

contraryadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːntreri/

very opposed in nature or character or purpose

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/

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

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading It were strange indeed if you did not.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

excusesnounUS /ɪksˈkjuːsɪz/

plural of “excuse” — a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

failverbUS /feɪl/

fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

FAUSTA

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

From this reading FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.

FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

friendnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.

fulness

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

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

greateradjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtər/

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

handnounUS /hænd/

the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading It were strange indeed if you did not.

ignorantadjectiveUS /ˈɪɡnərənt/

uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

indeedadverbUS /ˌɪnˈdiːd/

in truth (often tends to intensify)

From this reading It were strange indeed if you did not.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It were strange indeed if you did not.

knowingadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊɪŋ/

evidencing the possession of inside information

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

misdeedsnounUS /mɪsˈdiːdz/

plural of “misdeed” — improper or wicked or immoral behavior

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

mydeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

neglectverbUS /nəˈɡlekt/

leave undone or leave out

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

PISO

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

From this reading FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.

privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/

people in general considered as a whole

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

readyadjectiveUS /ˈredi/

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

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

regularitynounUS /ˌreɡjəˈlerəti/

a property of polygons: the property of having equal sides and equal angles

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

silencenounUS /ˈsaɪ.ləns/

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/

being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird

From this reading It were strange indeed if you did not.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

sufficientadjectiveUS /səˈfɪʃənt/

of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

surprisedadjectiveUS /sərˈpraɪzd/

taken unawares or suddenly and feeling wonder or astonishment

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading FROM PISO TO FAUSTA.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading But as for most of our misdeeds we have excuses ready at hand, so have I for this.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading It were strange indeed if you did not.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

worthnounUS /wɜːrθ/

an indefinite quantity of something having a specified value

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I am not surprised, Fausta, that you complain of my silence.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading First of all, I was not ignorant, that, however I might fail you, from your other greater friend you would experience no such neglect; but on the contrary would be supplied with sufficient fulness and regularity, with all that could be worth knowing, concerning either our public or private affairs.

Chapter 1 of Aurelian by William Ware holds 288 sentences, grouped into 58 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 Aurelian contain?

Chapter 1 holds 288 sentences of Aurelian, unabridged, divided into 58 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Aurelian by William Ware exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 288 sentences, grouped into 58 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 Aurelian?

Work through the 58 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 58 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 Aurelian

Common questions about reading Aurelian by William Ware on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Aurelian?

Yes. All 6625 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #21953 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Aurelian is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #21953, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Aurelian take to read?

About 552 minutes of reading across 1325 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Aurelian section by section

How to work through Aurelian section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 11 chapters of Aurelian 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 Aurelian

Words and structures a reader meets early in Aurelian, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Fausta
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Aurelian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Surprised
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Aurelian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Complain
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Aurelian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Silence
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Aurelian; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.