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Choice Specimens of American Literature
Choice Specimens of American Literature

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Choice Specimens of American Literature is here in full — 2466 sentences across 494 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Benj. N. (Benjamin Nicholas) Martin • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Choice Specimens of American Literature
Context Illustration Reading 1/493 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.
=_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)
From his "Memoirs."
=_1.=_ EXTENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.
0:00 / 0:00
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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.

Choice Specimens of American Literature

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Choice Specimens of American Literature is here in full — 2466 sentences across 494 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/493 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.
/rɪˈlɪdʒəs ˈraɪtərz ʌv ðə ˈsevənˈtiːnθ ənd eɪˈtiːnθ ˈsentʃəriz/
Line 2
=_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)
Line 3
From his "Memoirs."
/frʌm hɪz ˈmemwɑːrz/
Line 4
=_1.=_ EXTENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.
Line 5
There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

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.

combination noun US /ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən/

a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities

From this reading “There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commonwealth noun US /ˈkɑːmənwelθ/

the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)

From this reading “There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
eighteenth adjective US /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading “RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Manual noun US /ˈmænjuːəl/

a small handbook

From this reading “=_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Memoirs noun US /ˈmemwɑːrz/

plural of “memoir” — an account of the author's personal experiences

From this reading “From his "Memoirs."”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
seventeenth adjective US /ˈsevənˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the sixteenth in position

From this reading “RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Williams noun US /ˈwɪljəmz/

United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)

From this reading “=_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writers noun US /ˈraɪtərz/

plural of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

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.

1

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

From this reading =_1.=_ EXTENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

Pending verification
1598

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

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

Pending verification
1683

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

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

Pending verification
480

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

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

Pending verification
512

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

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

Pending verification
adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
CENTURIESnounUS /ˈsentʃəriz/

plural of “century” — a period of 100 years

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
combinationnounUS /ˌkɑːmbəˈneɪʃən/

a collection of things that have been combined; an assemblage of separate parts or qualities

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
commonwealthnounUS /ˈkɑːmənwelθ/

the official name of some states in the United States (Massachusetts and Pennsylvania and Virginia and Kentucky) and associated territories (Puerto Rico)

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EIGHTEENTHadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the seventeenth in position

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EXTENTnounUS /ɪkˈstent/

the point or degree to which something extends

From this reading =_1.=_ EXTENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FREEDOMnounUS /ˈfriːdəm/

the condition of being free; the power to act or speak or think without externally imposed restraints

From this reading =_1.=_ EXTENT OF RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading From his "Memoirs."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
goesnounUS /ɡoʊz/

plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading From his "Memoirs."

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/

characteristic of humanity

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/

ten 10s

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ManualnounUS /ˈmænjuːəl/

a small handbook

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
MemoirsnounUS /ˈmemwɑːrz/

plural of “memoir” — an account of the author's personal experiences

From this reading From his "Memoirs."

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
picturenounUS /ˈpɪktʃər/

a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
pp

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

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

Pending verification
RELIGIOUSadjectiveUS /rɪˈlɪdʒəs/

concerned with sacred matters or religion or the church

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Roger

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

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

Pending verification
seanounUS /siː/

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SEVENTEENTHadjectiveUS /ˈsevənˈtiːnθ/

coming next after the sixteenth in position

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
shipverbUS /ʃɪp/

transport commercially

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/

an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
soulsnounUS /soʊlz/

plural of “soul” — the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

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 RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
wealnoun

a raised mark on the skin (as produced by the blow of a whip); characteristic of many allergic reactions

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
WilliamsnounUS /ˈwɪljəmz/

United States country singer and songwriter (1923-1953)

From this reading =_Roger Williams, 1598-1683._= (Manual, pp. 480, 512.)

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
woenounUS /woʊ/

misery resulting from affliction

From this reading There goes many a ship to sea, with many hundred souls in one ship, whose weal and woe is common, and is a true picture of a commonwealth, or a human combination or society.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WRITERSnounUS /ˈraɪtərz/

plural of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading RELIGIOUS WRITERS OF THE SEVENTEENTH AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 1 of Choice Specimens of American Literature by Benj. N. (Benjamin Nicholas) Martin holds 2466 sentences, grouped into 494 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 Choice Specimens of American Literature contain?

Chapter 1 holds 2466 sentences of Choice Specimens of American Literature, unabridged, divided into 494 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Choice Specimens of American Literature by Benj. N. (Benjamin Nicholas) Martin exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 2466 sentences, grouped into 494 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 Choice Specimens of American Literature?

Work through the 494 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 494 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 Choice Specimens of American Literature

Common questions about reading Choice Specimens of American Literature by Benj. N. (Benjamin Nicholas) Martin on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Choice Specimens of American Literature?

Yes. All 6307 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #11122 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Choice Specimens of American Literature is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #11122, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Choice Specimens of American Literature take to read?

About 525 minutes of reading across 1262 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Choice Specimens of American Literature section by section

How to work through Choice Specimens of American Literature section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in Choice Specimens of American Literature

Words and structures a reader meets early in Choice Specimens of American Literature, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Religious
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Choice Specimens of American Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Writers
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Choice Specimens of American Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Seventeenth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Choice Specimens of American Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Eighteenth
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Choice Specimens of American Literature; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.