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Letters to Dead Authors

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Letters to Dead Authors is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Andrew Lang • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Letters to Dead Authors

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

PREFACE.

SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

Narrator

Speed 0.75x

AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English

LEARNER DICTIONARY

Archivist

/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/

Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Chapter I Reading 1/25

Letters to Dead Authors

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Letters to Dead Authors is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1

LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

Line 2

PREFACE.

Line 3

SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Line 4

They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

Line 5

The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

All words in this reading · 52

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 They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

additions

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

AND

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

From this reading LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

appeared

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

are

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

at

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

been

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

before

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

by

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Byron

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

Chapelain

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

CO

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

From this reading LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

Editor

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Editor's

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

emended

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

few

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

from

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Gazette

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

GREEN

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

From this reading LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

have

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

Horace

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

in

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Isaak

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

James's

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

journal

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

kind

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Letters

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

LONDON

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

From this reading LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

LONGMANS

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

From this reading LONDON LONGMANS, GREEN, AND CO.

made

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

not

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

now

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

of

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

permission

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

PREFACE

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

From this reading PREFACE.

published

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

reprinted

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Ronsard

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

SIXTEEN

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

somewhat

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

From this reading They have been somewhat emended, and a few additions have been made.

St

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

suggestion

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

that

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

the

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Theocritus

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

these

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

they

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

to

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

Walton

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

From this reading The Letters to Horace, Byron, Isaak Walton, Chapelain, Ronsard, and Theocritus have not been published before.

were

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

which

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

written

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

From this reading SIXTEEN of these Letters, which were written at the suggestion of the Editor of the “St. James’s Gazette,” appeared in that journal, from which they are now reprinted, by the Editor’s kind permission.

Chapter 1 of Letters to Dead Authors by Andrew Lang holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 1 of Letters to Dead Authors contain?

Chapter 1 holds 126 sentences of Letters to Dead Authors, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Letters to Dead Authors by Andrew Lang exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 1 of Letters to Dead Authors?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 sections in this chapter is short enough to read once, hear once, and then re-read with the vocabulary in view. Tapping a word plays it alone and opens its dictionary entry with IPA, part of speech and meaning, so the reader is never forced to guess a pronunciation from spelling. Working section by section keeps a long chapter from becoming an undifferentiated wall of text, which is the usual reason a reader abandons a work of this period.

Can chapter 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 can be played aloud in United States English.

Audio covers the whole chapter: any sentence can be played, and any single word within it can be played on its own. The voice uses United States English. For a work of this period that matters, because spelling is an unreliable guide to pronunciation for vocabulary that has fallen out of daily use, and a learner who guesses wrong tends to keep the error. Hearing the word in its own sentence, and then alone, settles it.

Questions about reading Letters to Dead Authors

Common questions about reading Letters to Dead Authors by Andrew Lang on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Letters to Dead Authors?

Yes. All 1381 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #1491 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Letters to Dead Authors is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #1491, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Letters to Dead Authors take to read?

About 115 minutes of reading across 277 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Letters to Dead Authors section by section

How to work through Letters to Dead Authors section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 10 chapters of Letters to Dead Authors to begin.
Read one section

Each section holds 5 sentences; read it once through.
Listen and tap

Play the section aloud, then tap any unfamiliar word for its entry.

Vocabulary met early in Letters to Dead Authors

Words and structures a reader meets early in Letters to Dead Authors, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to Dead Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Longmans: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to Dead Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Green: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to Dead Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Preface: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to Dead Authors; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.