Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of
Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of
Context Illustration Reading 1/11 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LONDON, September 22, O. S.
1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.
I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.
I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.
Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.
0:00 / 0:00
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.

Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of

Chapter XXIII · Chapter 23

Chapter 23 of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of is here in full — 58 sentences across 12 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/11 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LONDON, September 22, O. S.
Line 2
1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.
Line 3
I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.
Line 4
I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.
/aɪ wʊd hæv juː siː ˈevriθɪŋ wɪð jɔːr oʊn aɪz ənd hiːr ˈevriθɪŋ wɪð jɔːr oʊn ɪrz fɔːr aɪ noʊ baɪ ˈveri lɔːŋ ɪkˈspɪriəns ðæt ɪt ɪz ˈveri ənˈseɪf tuː trʌst tuː ˈʌðər ˈpiːpəlz/
Line 5
Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.
/ˈvænəti ənd ˈɪntrəst kɑːz ˈmeni mɪsˌreprɪzenˈteɪʃənz ənd ˈfɑːli ˈkɑːzəz ˈmeni mɔːr/

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.

approve verb US /əˈpruːv/

give sanction to

From this reading “I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.”

causes noun US /ˈkɑːzəz/

plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading “Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.”

date noun US /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading “1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.”

misrepresentations noun US /mɪsˌreprɪzenˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “misrepresentation” — a misleading falsehood

From this reading “Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.”

people's noun US /ˈpiːpəlz/

possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading “I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.”

September noun US /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading “LONDON, September 22, O. S.”

unsafe adjective US /ənˈseɪf/

lacking in security or safety

From this reading “I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.”

Vanity noun US /ˈvænəti/

feelings of excessive pride

From this reading “Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.”

All words in this reading · 63

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.

1752

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

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

22

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

From this reading LONDON, September 22, O. S.

8th

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

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

approveverbUS /əˈpruːv/

give sanction to

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

causenounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

causesnounUS /ˈkɑːzəz/

plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

Comtenoun

French philosopher remembered as the founder of positivism; he also established sociology as a systematic field of study

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

datenounUS /deɪt/

the specified day of the month

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

daynounUS /deɪ/

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

earsnounUS /ɪrz/

plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

experienceverbUS /ɪkˈspɪriəns/

undergo or live through a difficult experience

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

extremelyadverbUS /ekˈstriːmli/

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

eyesnounUS /aɪz/

opinion or judgment

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

follynounUS /ˈfɑːli/

the trait of acting stupidly or rashly

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

gladadjectiveUS /ɡlæd/

showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

Gohr

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

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/

resulting from one's intentions

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

interestnounUS /ˈɪntrəst/

a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

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, September 22, O. S.

longadjectiveUS /lɔːŋ/

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

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 Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

misrepresentationsnounUS /mɪsˌreprɪzenˈteɪʃənz/

plural of “misrepresentation” — a misleading falsehood

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

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, September 22, O. S.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/

possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

progressnounUS /ˈprɑːɡres/

gradual improvement or growth or development

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

SnounUS /es/

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

From this reading LONDON, September 22, O. S.

Schullemburg

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

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

seeverbUS /siː/

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading LONDON, September 22, O. S.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

trustnounUS /trʌst/

something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

unsafeadjectiveUS /ənˈseɪf/

lacking in security or safety

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

VanitynounUS /ˈvænəti/

feelings of excessive pride

From this reading Vanity and interest cause many misrepresentations, and folly causes many more.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading I would have you see everything with your own eyes, and hear everything with your own ears: for I know, by very long experience, that it is very unsafe to trust to other people's.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I approve extremely of your intended progress, and am very glad that you go to the Gohr with Comte Schullemburg.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading 1752 MY DEAR FRIEND: The day after the date of my last, I received your letter of the 8th.

Chapter 23 of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield holds 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 23 of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of contain?

Chapter 23 holds 58 sentences of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of, unabridged, divided into 12 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 23 of Letters to His Son, 1752 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 58 sentences, grouped into 12 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 23 of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of?

Work through the 12 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 12 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 23 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 23 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 His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of

Common questions about reading Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of?

Yes. All 1232 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3356 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3356, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of take to read?

About 102 minutes of reading across 247 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of section by section

How to work through Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 30 chapters of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of 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 to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of

Words and structures a reader meets early in Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

London
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
January
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Laziness
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1752 On the Fine Art of; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.