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Essays of Travel
Essays of Travel

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Essays of Travel is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It is a people of lace-makers.
The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.
Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.
They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.
A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.
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Essays of Travel

Chapter XV · Chapter 15

Chapter 15 of Essays of Travel is here in full — 133 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/26 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It is a people of lace-makers.
Line 2
The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.
Line 3
Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.
Line 4
They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.
Line 5
A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

All words in this reading · 87

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.

a

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

From this reading It is a people of lace-makers.

about

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

above

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

ago

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

air

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

and

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

another

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

at

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

audible

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

black

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

bobbins

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

brigand

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

brightness

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

by

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

called

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

cap

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

caps

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

clattering

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

colour

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

day

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

district

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

earn

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

edification

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

England

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

felt

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

five

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

for

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

foreign

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

francs

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

from

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

gaudy

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

gay

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

give

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

group

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

groups

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

hat

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

head

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

hear

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

herself

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

in

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

is

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

From this reading It is a people of lace-makers.

It

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

From this reading It is a people of lace-makers.

lace

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

lace-makers

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

From this reading It is a people of lace-makers.

largely

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

London

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

Monastier

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

noise

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

not

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

Now

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

of

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

From this reading It is a people of lace-makers.

off

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

one

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

or

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

others

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

people

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

From this reading It is a people of lace-makers.

pound

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

prayers

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

ribbon

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

shawls

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

sit

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

six

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

so

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

sometimes

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

street

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

streets

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

supplied

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

The

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

their

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

then

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

They

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

this

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

to

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

torchon

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

unusual

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

was

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

wear

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

when

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

while

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

white

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

will

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

with

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

From this reading They wear gaudy shawls, white caps with a gay ribbon about the head, and sometimes a black felt brigand hat above the cap; and so they give the street colour and brightness and a foreign air.

woman

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

women

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

From this reading The women sit in the streets by groups of five or six; and the noise of the bobbins is audible from one group to another.

work

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

worth

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

From this reading A while ago, when England largely supplied herself from this district with the lace called _torchon_, it was not unusual to earn five francs a day; and five francs in Monastier is worth a pound in London.

you

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

From this reading Now and then you will hear one woman clattering off prayers for the edification of the others at their work.

Chapter 15 of Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 133 sentences, grouped into 27 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the public-domain source, 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 15 of Essays of Travel contain?

Chapter 15 holds 133 sentences of Essays of Travel, unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 15 of Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 133 sentences, grouped into 27 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 15 of Essays of Travel?

Work through the 27 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 27 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 15 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 15 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 Essays of Travel

Common questions about reading Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Essays of Travel?

Yes. All 2493 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #627 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Essays of Travel is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #627, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Essays of Travel take to read?

About 207 minutes of reading across 499 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Essays of Travel section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 19 chapters of Essays of Travel 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 Essays of Travel

Words and structures a reader meets early in Essays of Travel, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Amateur
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays of Travel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Emigrant
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays of Travel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Clyde
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays of Travel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sandy
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Essays of Travel; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.