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Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art
Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art
Context Illustration Reading 1/8 · 5 lines
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MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.
I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.
Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.
The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.
I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art is here in full — 43 sentences across 9 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/8 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.
/maɪ dɪr frend ɪt ɪz naʊ əˈbʌv ə ˈfɔːrtnaɪt sɪns aɪ hæv rəˈsiːvd ə ˈletər frʌm juː/
Line 2
I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.
Line 3
Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.
Line 4
The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.
Line 5
I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.
/aɪ ɪɡˈzæmənd hɪm əˈbaʊt juː ˈθɪŋkɪŋ hɪm ə ˈkɑːmpətɪnt dʒʌdʒ/

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.

Academician noun US /ˌækədəˈmɪʃən/

someone elected to honorary membership in an academy

From this reading “Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.”

bureau noun US /ˈbjʊroʊ/

an administrative unit of government

From this reading “I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.”

competent adjective US /ˈkɑːmpətɪnt/

properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient

From this reading “I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.”

consistent adjective US /kənˈsɪstənt/

(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable

From this reading “The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.”

engrossed adjective US /ɪnˈɡroʊst/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading “I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.”

imported adjective US /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtɪd/

used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source

From this reading “Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.”

improvement noun US /ˌɪmˈpruːvmənt/

a change for the better; progress in development

From this reading “I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.”

mornings noun US /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/

plural of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading “I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.”

All words in this reading · 85

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

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

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.

aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/

higher than, or over, something

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

AcademiciannounUS /ˌækədəˈmɪʃən/

someone elected to honorary membership in an academy

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/

having fair knowledge of

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

Albemarle's

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

bureaunounUS /ˈbjʊroʊ/

an administrative unit of government

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

businessnounUS /ˈbɪznəs/

a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

Clairant

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

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

competentadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmpətɪnt/

properly or sufficiently qualified or capable or efficient

From this reading I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.

Comtenoun

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

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

consistentadjectiveUS /kənˈsɪstənt/

(sometimes followed by “with”) in agreement or consistent or reliable

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

dealverbUS /diːl/

act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/

one or the other of two

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

engrossedadjectiveUS /ɪnˈɡroʊst/

giving or marked by complete attention to

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

eveningsnounUS /ˈiːvnɪŋz/

plural of “evening” — the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

examinedverbUS /ɪɡˈzæmənd/

past form of “examine” — consider in detail and subject to an analysis in order to discover essential features or meaning

From this reading I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

formeradjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmər/

referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

fortnightnounUS /ˈfɔːrtnaɪt/

a period of fourteen consecutive days

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

FRIENDnounUS /frend/

a person you know well and regard with affection and trust

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

genteeler

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

gentlemennounUS /ˈdʒentəlmɪn/

plural of “gentleman” — a man of refinement

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

HereadverbUS /hiːr/

in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.

hopenounUS /hoʊp/

a specific instance of feeling hopeful

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

importedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtɪd/

used of especially merchandise brought from a foreign source

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

improvementnounUS /ˌɪmˈpruːvmənt/

a change for the better; progress in development

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

judgeverbUS /dʒʌdʒ/

determine the result of (a competition)

From this reading I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.

knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

latelyadverbUS /ˈleɪtli/

in the recent past

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

LordnounUS /lɔːrd/

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

mannounUS /mæn/

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

morningsnounUS /ˈmɔːrnɪŋz/

plural of “morning” — the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/

to a great degree or extent

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

MYdeterminerUS /maɪ/

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

naturenounUS /ˈneɪtʃər/

the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

ownverbUS /oʊn/

have ownership or possession of

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/

the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

prettyadjectiveUS /ˈprɪti/

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

satisfactionnounUS /ˌsætəˈsfækʃən/

the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/

from a time in the past until now

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

thereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

thinkingnounUS /ˈθɪŋkɪŋ/

the process of using your mind to consider something carefully

From this reading I examined him about you, thinking him a competent judge.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

twonounUS /tuː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

usefuladjectiveUS /ˈjuːsfəl/

being of use or service

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/

precisely as stated

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

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 I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

well-bredadjective

of good upbringing

From this reading The former is a very pretty man, well-bred, and with a great deal of useful knowledge; for those two things are very consistent.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

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

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

willinglyadverbUS /ˈwɪlɪŋli/

in a willing manner

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading MY DEAR FRIEND: It is now above a fortnight since I have received a letter from you.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading I hope, however, that you are well, but engrossed by the business of Lord Albemarle's 'bureau' in the mornings, and by business of a genteeler nature in the evenings; for I willingly give up my own satisfaction to your improvement, either in business or manners.

Zinzendorfnoun

German theologian (1700-1760)

From this reading Here have been lately imported from Paris two gentlemen, who, I find, were much acquainted with you there Comte Zinzendorf, and Monsieur Clairant the Academician.

Chapter 1 of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield holds 43 sentences, grouped into 9 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 His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art contain?

Chapter 1 holds 43 sentences of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art, unabridged, divided into 9 reading sections.

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How do I study chapter 1 of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art?

Work through the 9 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 9 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 His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art

Common questions about reading Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art 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, 1753-54 On the Fine Art?

Yes. All 638 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3357 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3357, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art take to read?

About 53 minutes of reading across 128 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art section by section

How to work through Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 18 chapters of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art 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, 1753-54 On the Fine Art

Words and structures a reader meets early in Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Friend
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Above
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Fortnight
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Since
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1753-54 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.