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Cowper
Cowper

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Cowper is here in full — 303 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Goldwin Smith • Curated US English Learning Edition
Cover illustration for Cowper
Context Illustration Reading 1/60 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
THE LETTERS.
Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.
If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.
The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.
Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.
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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.

Cowper

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Cowper is here in full — 303 sentences across 61 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/60 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
THE LETTERS.
/ðə ˈletərz/
Line 2
Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.
Line 3
If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.
Line 4
The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.
/ðə ˈletərz boʊθ ʌv ɡreɪ ənd ˈwɔːlpoʊl ɑːr ˈmænəfestli ˈrɪtən fɔːr ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/
Line 5
Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.
/ðoʊz ʌv ˈkaʊpər hæv ðə truː ɪˈpɪstəleri tʃɑːrm/

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.

Byron noun US /ˈbaɪrən/

English romantic poet notorious for his rebellious and unconventional lifestyle (1788-1824)

From this reading “If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
counterpart noun US /ˈkaʊntərpɑːrt/

a person or thing having the same function or characteristics as another

From this reading “If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Cowper noun US /ˈkaʊpər/

English surgeon who discovered Cowper's gland (1666-1709)

From this reading “Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
epistolary adjective US /ɪˈpɪstəleri/

written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence

From this reading “Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manifestly adverb US /ˈmænəfestli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading “The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.”

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 “If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
publication noun US /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/

a copy of a printed work offered for distribution

From this reading “The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Walpole noun US /ˈwɔːlpoʊl/

English writer and historian; son of Sir Robert Walpole (1717-1797)

From this reading “If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.”

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

All words in this reading · 58

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 Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
addressedadjectiveUS /əˈdrest/

(of mail) marked with a destination

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
bestnounUS /best/

the supreme effort one can make

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/

the two together, not just one

From this reading The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ByronnounUS /ˈbaɪrən/

English romantic poet notorious for his rebellious and unconventional lifestyle (1788-1824)

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
callsnounUS /kɔːlz/

plural of “call” — a telephone connection

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
charmnounUS /tʃɑːrm/

attractiveness that interests or pleases or stimulates

From this reading Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
counterpartnounUS /ˈkaʊntərpɑːrt/

a person or thing having the same function or characteristics as another

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
CowpernounUS /ˈkaʊpər/

English surgeon who discovered Cowper's gland (1666-1709)

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
EnglishnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ/

an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
epistolaryadjectiveUS /ɪˈpɪstəleri/

written in the form of or carried on by letters or correspondence

From this reading Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/

being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
GraynounUS /ɡreɪ/

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
HoracenounUS /ˈhɔːrəs/

Roman lyric poet said to have influenced English poetry (65-8 BC)

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

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 If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
letter-writers

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

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

Pending verification
LETTERSnounUS /ˈletərz/

the literary culture

From this reading THE LETTERS.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
manifestlyadverbUS /ˈmænəfestli/

unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)

From this reading The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
matternounUS /ˈmætər/

a vaguely specified concern

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
meanverbUS /miːn/

mean or intend to express or convey

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
memoirsnounUS /ˈmemwɑːrz/

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

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
mennounUS /men/

the force of workers available

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
piecesnounUS /ˈpiːsəz/

plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
placenounUS /pleɪs/

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
publicationnounUS /ˌpʌblɪˈkeɪʃən/

a copy of a printed work offered for distribution

From this reading The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/

on the contrary

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
sharedadjectiveUS /ʃerd/

have in common; held or experienced in common

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
SimonnounUS /ˈsaɪmən/

one of the twelve Apostles (first century)

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
Southeynoun

English poet and friend of Wordsworth and Coleridge (1774-1843)

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
St

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

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Pending verification
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading Southey, no mean judge in such a matter, calls Cowper the best of English, letter-writers.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading THE LETTERS.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
ThosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
trueadjectiveUS /truː/

consistent with fact or reality; not false

From this reading Those of Cowper have the true epistolary charm.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
WalpolenounUS /ˈwɔːlpoʊl/

English writer and historian; son of Sir Robert Walpole (1717-1797)

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

Velmora grammar entry · CMU Pronouncing Dictionary
writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/

the act of creating written works

From this reading If the first place is shared with him by any one it is by Byron, rather than by Gray, whose letters are pieces of fine writing, addressed to literary men, or Horace Walpole, whose letters are memoirs, the English counterpart of St. Simon.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading The letters both of Gray and Walpole are manifestly written for publication.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary · Princeton WordNet 3.1

Chapter 7 of Cowper by Goldwin Smith holds 303 sentences, grouped into 61 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 7 of Cowper contain?

Chapter 7 holds 303 sentences of Cowper, unabridged, divided into 61 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Cowper by Goldwin Smith exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 303 sentences, grouped into 61 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 7 of Cowper?

Work through the 61 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 61 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 7 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 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 Cowper

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Vocabulary met early in Cowper

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

Chapter 1
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Chapter 2
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Chapter 3
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