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Books and Characters, French & English
Books and Characters, French & English

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Books and Characters, French & English is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Books and Characters, French & English
Context Illustration Reading 1/82 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
MR.
LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.
If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?
If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?
Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Books and Characters, French & English

Chapter IV · Chapter 4

Chapter 4 of Books and Characters, French & English is here in full — 414 sentences across 83 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/82 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MR.
/ˈmɪstər/
Line 2
LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.
Line 3
If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?
/ɪf men wɜːr toʊld ðə truːθ maɪt ðeɪ nɑːt bɪˈliːv ɪt/
Line 4
If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?
Line 5
Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.
/let ˈruːlərz biː boʊld ənd ˈɑːnəst ənd ɪt ɪz ˈpɑːsəbəl ðæt ðə ˈfɑːli ʌv ðer ˈpiːpəlz wɪl ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/

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.

bold adjective US /boʊld/

fearless and daring

disappear verb US /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading “Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.”

Experiment noun US /ɪkˈsperəmənt/

the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

From this reading “LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.”

Folly noun US /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading “Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.”

Peoples noun US /ˈpiːpəlz/

the human beings of a particular nation or community or ethnic group

From this reading “Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.”

Rulers noun US /ˈruːlərz/

plural of “ruler” — a person who rules or commands

From this reading “Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.”

Virtue noun US /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/

Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.

From this reading “If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?”

Wisdom noun US /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading “If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?”

All words in this reading · 46

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/

accept as true; take to be true

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

boldadjectiveUS /boʊld/

fearless and daring

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

disappearverbUS /ˌdɪsəˈpɪr/

get lost, as without warning or explanation

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

emnounUS /em/

a quad with a square body

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

ExperimentnounUS /ɪkˈsperəmənt/

the act of conducting a controlled test or investigation

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

FollynounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

happyadjectiveUS /ˈhæpi/

enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑːnəst/

not disposed to cheat or defraud; not deceptive or fraudulent

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

how

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

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

Letauxiliary verbUS /let/

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

LOKE

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

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

MennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

MRnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading MR.

neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

offer'd

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

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

OpportunitynounUS /ˌɑːpərˈtuːnəti/

a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

PeoplesnounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/

the human beings of a particular nation or community or ethnic group

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

RulersnounUS /ˈruːlərz/

plural of “ruler” — a person who rules or commands

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

takeverbUS /teɪk/

carry out

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

theypronounUS /ðeɪ/

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

toldverbUS /toʊld/

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

TruthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

tryverbUS /traɪ/

make an effort or attempt

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

VirtuenounUS /ˈvɝː.tʃuː/

Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

wepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading If Men were told the Truth, might they not believe it?

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading Let Rulers be _bold_ and _honest_, and it is possible that the Folly of their Peoples will disappear.

willingadjectiveUS /ˈwɪlɪŋ/

disposed or inclined toward

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

WisdomnounUS /ˈwɪzdəm/

accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment

From this reading If the Opportunity of Virtue and Wisdom is never to be offer'd 'em, how can we be sure that they would not be willing to take it?

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading LOKE I would be happy to try the Experiment.

Chapter 4 of Books and Characters, French & English by Lytton Strachey holds 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 of Books and Characters, French & English contain?

Chapter 4 holds 414 sentences of Books and Characters, French & English, unabridged, divided into 83 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 4 of Books and Characters, French & English by Lytton Strachey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 414 sentences, grouped into 83 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 4 of Books and Characters, French & English?

Work through the 83 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 83 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 4 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 4 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 Books and Characters, French & English

Common questions about reading Books and Characters, French & English by Lytton Strachey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Books and Characters, French & English?

Yes. All 2926 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #12478 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Books and Characters, French & English is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #12478, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Books and Characters, French & English take to read?

About 243 minutes of reading across 586 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Books and Characters, French & English section by section

How to work through Books and Characters, French & English section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 Books and Characters, French & English

Words and structures a reader meets early in Books and Characters, French & English, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Ingres
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Books and Characters, French & English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Painted
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Books and Characters, French & English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Apotheosis
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Books and Characters, French & English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Homer
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Books and Characters, French & English; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.