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Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of
Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of
Context Illustration Reading 1/10 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LONDON, February 28, O. S.
1751.
MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.
But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."
D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of is here in full — 52 sentences across 11 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/10 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LONDON, February 28, O. S.
Line 2
1751.
Line 3
MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.
Line 4
But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."
Line 5
D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

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.

conceive verb US /kənˈsiːv/

have the idea for

From this reading “D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.”

epigram noun US /ˈepəɡræm/

a witty saying

From this reading “MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.”

February noun US /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading “LONDON, February 28, O. S.”

Martial adjective US /ˈmɑːrʃəl/

(of persons) befitting a warrior

From this reading “MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.”

nec noun US /nek/

an acute inflammatory disease occurring in the intestines of premature infants; necrosis of intestinal tissue may follow

From this reading “MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.”

non adverb US /nɑːn/

negation of a word or group of words

From this reading “MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.”

possum noun US /ˈpɑːsəm/

nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South America

From this reading “MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.”

puzzled adjective US /ˈpʌzəld/

filled with bewilderment

From this reading “D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.”

All words in this reading · 58

Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.

Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

1751

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

From this reading 1751.

28

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

From this reading LONDON, February 28, O. S.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

amo

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."

anybodypronounUS /ˈenibədi/

any person at all

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."

cannot

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

conceiveverbUS /kənˈsiːv/

have the idea for

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

DnounUS /diː/

a fat-soluble vitamin that prevents rickets

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

dicere

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

Dr

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

epigramnounUS /ˈepəɡræm/

a witty saying

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

FebruarynounUS /ˈfebjəweri/

the month following January and preceding March

From this reading LONDON, February 28, O. S.

FellverbUS /fel/

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

fulladjectiveUS /fʊl/

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

Hoc

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

how

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

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."

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 LONDON, February 28, O. S.

lovenounUS /lʌv/

a strong positive emotion of regard and affection

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

manyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

MartialadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrʃəl/

(of persons) befitting a warrior

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

necnounUS /nek/

an acute inflammatory disease occurring in the intestines of premature infants; necrosis of intestinal tissue may follow

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

NonadverbUS /nɑːn/

negation of a word or group of words

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

OnounUS /oʊ/

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading LONDON, February 28, O. S.

ORconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

possibleadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːsəbəl/

capable of happening or existing

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

possumnounUS /ˈpɑːsəm/

nocturnal arboreal marsupial having a naked prehensile tail found from southern North America to northern South America

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

puzzledadjectiveUS /ˈpʌzəld/

filled with bewilderment

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

quare

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

SnounUS /es/

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading LONDON, February 28, O. S.

Sabidi

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

tantum

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

tenounUS /tiː/

a brittle silver-white metalloid element that is related to selenium and sulfur; it is used in alloys and as a semiconductor; occurs mainly as tellurides in ores of copper and nickel and silver and gold

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

tellverbUS /tel/

express in words

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

theepronounUS /ðiː/

an old word for “you”, as the object, speaking to one person

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

WnounUS /ˈdʌbəljuː/

a heavy grey-white metallic element; the pure form is used mainly in electrical applications; it is found in several ores including wolframite and scheelite

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

welladverbUS /wel/

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading But this I know and know full well: I do not love thee Dr. Fell."

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: This epigram in Martial-- "Non amo te, Sabidi, nec possum dicere quare; Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te"-- [OR: "I do not love thee Dr. Fell The reason why I cannot tell.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading D.W.] has puzzled a great many people, who cannot conceive how it is possible not to love anybody, and yet not to know the reason why.

Chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield holds 52 sentences, grouped into 11 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 7 of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of contain?

Chapter 7 holds 52 sentences of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of, unabridged, divided into 11 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 52 sentences, grouped into 11 sections of at most 5 sentences so that a reader can take the chapter in steady, finishable pieces. The chapter also stores a coverage record mapping every one of its sentences to a part of the work, which is how the edition demonstrates that no line was dropped.

How do I study chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of?

Work through the 11 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 11 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.

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Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 7 can be played aloud in United States English.

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

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Vocabulary met early in Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of

Words and structures a reader meets early in Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Letter
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Debut'
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Paris
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1751 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.