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Essays of Travel
Essays of Travel

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Essays of Travel is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Essays of Travel
Context Illustration Reading 1/24 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.
Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.
A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.
If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.
Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.
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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.

Essays of Travel

Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of Essays of Travel is here in full — 123 sentences across 25 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/24 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.
Line 2
Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.
Line 3
A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.
Line 4
If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.
Line 5
Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

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.

Open verb US /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading “Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.”

All words in this reading · 85

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 Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

and

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

are

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

barrack

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

be

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

cabinets

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

can

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

castleful

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

cellars

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

certainly

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

command

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

corridor

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

crowning

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

cupboards

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

deep

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

delightful

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

drainage

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

east

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

extent

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

few

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

flesh

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

for

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

go

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

green

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

ground

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

house

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

ideal

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

if

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

in

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

indeed

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

intricacy

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

is

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

it

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

knoll

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

large

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

later

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

lightsome

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

lofty

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

look

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

may

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

mere

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

miss

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

more

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

much

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

must

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

not

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

occurring

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

of

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

one

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/

To move from a closed position.

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

or

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

other

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

outlook

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

palatial

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

possible

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

raised

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

rising

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

room

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

rooms

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

sake

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

set

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

should

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

single

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

size

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

small

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

so

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

some

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

From this reading Yet size in a house, and some extent and intricacy of corridor, is certainly delightful to the flesh.

spacious

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

From this reading If the rooms are large, the house may be small: a single room, lofty, spacious, and lightsome, is more palatial than a castleful of cabinets and cupboards.

steps

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

stories

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

story

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

sunrise

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

sunset

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

than

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

the

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

though

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

to

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

two

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

From this reading A house of more than two stories is a mere barrack; indeed the ideal is of one story, raised upon cellars.

up

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

upon

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

way

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

will

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

Yet

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

you

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

From this reading Yet it must be open to the east, or you will miss the sunrise; sunset occurring so much later, you can go up a few steps and look the other way.

Your

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

From this reading Your house should not command much outlook; it should be set deep and green, though upon rising ground, or, if possible, crowning a knoll, for the sake of drainage.

Chapter 17 of Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson holds 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 17 of Essays of Travel contain?

Chapter 17 holds 123 sentences of Essays of Travel, unabridged, divided into 25 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 17 of Essays of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 123 sentences, grouped into 25 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 17 of Essays of Travel?

Work through the 25 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 25 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 17 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 17 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.