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Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)
Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)
Context Illustration Reading 1/26 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
_Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.
We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.
The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.
For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.
Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)

Chapter XII

Chapter 12 of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) is here in full — 134 sentences across 27 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1
_Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.
Line 2
We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.
/wiː wɜːr naʊ tuː liːv ðə lænd ʌv leɪks ənd tɜːrn ˈaʊər ˈfeɪsəz təˈwɔːrdz ˈlʌndən/
Line 3
The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.
Line 4
For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.
Line 5
Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

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.

Bowes verb US /boʊz/

third-person singular of “bow” — bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head

From this reading “_Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.”

chaise noun US /ʃeɪz/

a long chair; for reclining

From this reading “For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.”

deserving adjective US /dɪˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

(often used ironically) worthy of being treated in a particular way

From this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

deviation noun US /ˌdiːviˈeɪʃən/

a variation that deviates from the standard or norm

From this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

occurs verb US /əˈkɜːrz/

third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

Pillar noun US /ˈpɪlər/

a fundamental principle or practice

From this reading “_Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.”

shortest adjective US /ˈʃɔːrtɪst/

superlative of “short” — primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

Yorkshire noun US /ˈjɔːrkʃər/

a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties

From this reading “_Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.”

Word partnerships in these lines

English keeps certain words together, and knowing the pair is worth more than knowing each word alone. Every partnership below was counted across our whole published library, and earns its place by appearing far more often than two unrelated words of the same frequency would.

Shown as this reading writes them, with the form the library counts, what kind of pairing it is, and how often it occurs.

five miles noun + noun counted as “five mile”

In this reading “Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.”

frontier town noun + noun

In this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

shortest route adjective + noun counted as “short route”

In this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

from whence preposition + adverb

In this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

about five preposition + noun

In this reading “Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.”

only half adverb + adjective

In this reading “The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.”

lay under verb + particle

In this reading “Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.”

All words in this reading · 98

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 The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

advancedadjectiveUS /ədˈvænst/

farther along in physical or mental development

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

Appleby

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

Bassenthwaite

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

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/

a line that indicates a boundary

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Borderers

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

BowesverbUS /boʊz/

third-person singular of “bow” — bend one's knee or body, or lower one's head

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

Brough

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Carlisle

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

chaisenounUS /ʃeɪz/

a long chair; for reclining

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

citynounUS /ˈsɪti/

a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

costnounUS /kɑːst/

the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

CountessnounUS /ˈkaʊntəs/

female equivalent of a count or earl

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

day'snounUS /deɪz/

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

DeparturenounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtʃər/

the act of departing

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

deservingadjectiveUS /dɪˈzɜːrvɪŋ/

(often used ironically) worthy of being treated in a particular way

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

deviationnounUS /ˌdiːviˈeɪʃən/

a variation that deviates from the standard or norm

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

distancenounUS /ˈdɪstəns/

the property created by the space between two objects or points

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

eightadjectiveUS /eɪt/

being one more than seven

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

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 The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

facesnounUS /ˈfeɪsəz/

plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

fivenounUS /faɪv/

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/

a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

halfadjectiveUS /hæf/

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/

the aggregate of past events

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

journeyverbUS /ˈdʒɜːrni/

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Keswick

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

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

lakenounUS /leɪk/

a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

LakesnounUS /leɪks/

plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

landnounUS /lænd/

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

layverbUS /leɪ/

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

leaguesnounUS /liːɡz/

plural of “league” — an association of sports teams that organizes matches for its members

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

leaveverbUS /liːv/

go away from a place

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

LondonnounUS /ˈlʌndən/

the capital and largest city of England; located on the Thames in southeastern England; financial and industrial and cultural center

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

metverbUS /met/

inflected form of “meet” — come together

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

milesnounUS /maɪlz/

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

MondaynounUS /ˈmʌndi/

the second day of the week; the first working day

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

nameverbUS /neɪm/

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

nearlyadverbUS /ˈnɪrli/

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

occursverbUS /əˈkɜːrz/

third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

oftenadverbUS /ˈɔːfən/

many times at short intervals

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/

and nothing more

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

overlookedadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkt/

not taken into account

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Penrith

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

PillarnounUS /ˈpɪlər/

a fundamental principle or practice

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

regularadjectiveUS /ˈreɡjələr/

in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

returnedverbUS /rɪˈtɜːrnd/

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

roadnounUS /roʊd/

an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

routenounUS /ruːt/

an established line of travel or access

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

SchoolsnounUS /skuːlz/

plural of “school” — an educational institution

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

Scotish

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

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

shortestadjectiveUS /ˈʃɔːrtɪst/

superlative of “short” — primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Skiddaw

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

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

stagenounUS /steɪdʒ/

any distinct time period in a sequence of events

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Stainmoor

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

startsnounUS /stɑːrts/

plural of “start” — the beginning of anything

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

thereforeadverbUS /ˈðerfɔːr/

for that reason; as a result

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

tookverbUS /tʊk/

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading For Carlisle, therefore, we took chaise from Keswick, the distance being eight leagues.

towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/

in the direction of

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

turnverbUS /tɜːrn/

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/

below or beneath something; less than

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

uspronounUS /ʌs/

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

visitverbUS /ˈvɪzɪt/

go to see a place, as for entertainment

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

WepronounUS /wiː/

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading We were now to leave the land of lakes and turn our faces towards London.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

whenceadverbUS /wens/

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

wholeadjectiveUS /hoʊl/

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading Our road lay under Skiddaw, and, when we had advanced about five miles, overlooked the lake of Bassenthwaite, nearly the whole of its length.

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

Wigton

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

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading The regular road would have been to have returned to Penrith, and there have met the stage; but it would cost us only half a day's journey to visit Carlisle from whence it starts; and a city whose name occurs so often in English history, being the frontier town on this part of the Scotish border, was deserving of this little deviation from the shortest route.

YorkshirenounUS /ˈjɔːrkʃər/

a former large county in northern England; in 1974 it was divided into three smaller counties

From this reading _Departure from the Lakes.—Wigton.—Carlisle.—Penrith.—The Borderers.— The Pillar of the Countess.—Appleby.—Brough.—Stainmoor.— Bowes.—Yorkshire Schools._ Monday.

Chapter 12 of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) by Robert Southey holds 134 sentences, grouped into 27 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 12 of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) contain?

Chapter 12 holds 134 sentences of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3), unabridged, divided into 27 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) by Robert Southey exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 134 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 12 of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)?

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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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 Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)

Common questions about reading Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) by Robert Southey on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)?

Yes. All 1896 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #61506 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #61506, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) take to read?

About 158 minutes of reading across 380 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) section by section

How to work through Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 20 chapters of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3) 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 Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3)

Words and structures a reader meets early in Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3), each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Methodists
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Wesley
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Whitfield
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Different
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters from England, Volume 2 (of 3); the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.