Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art

Chapter XXIX · Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

By Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield • Curated US English Learning Edition

Cover illustration for Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art

English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5

TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

How soon would you have them placed at school?

When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

In the meantime, I beg that you will equip them thoroughly with clothes, linen, etc., all good, but plain; and give me the account, which I will pay; for I do not intend that, from, this time forward the two boys should cost you one shilling.

I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

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 XXIX Reading 1/1

Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield

Chapter XXIX

Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs. How soon would you have them placed at school? When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception. In the meantime, I beg that you will equip them thoroughly with clothes, linen, etc., all good, but plain; and give me the account, which I will pay; for I do not intend that, from, this time forward the two boys should cost you one shilling. I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art

Chapter XXIX · Chapter 29

Chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art is here in full — 5 sentences across 1 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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

Line 1

TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

/tuː ðə seɪm æt ˈlʌndən ˈmædəm ðə læst taɪm ðæt aɪ hæd ðə ˈpleʒər ʌv ˈsiːɪŋ juː aɪ wɑːz soʊ ˈteɪkən ʌp ɪn ˈpleɪɪŋ wɪð ðə bɔɪz ðæt aɪ fərˈɡɑːt ðer mɔːr ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt əˈferz/

Line 2

How soon would you have them placed at school?

Line 3

When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

Line 4

Line 5

I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

/aɪ æm wɪð ɡreɪt truːθ ˈmædəm jɔːr ˈfeɪθfəl ˈhʌmbəl ˈsɜːrvənt ˈtʃestərfiːld/

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.

chesterfield noun US /ˈtʃestərfiːld/

suave and witty English statesman remembered mostly for letters to his son (1694-1773)

From this reading “I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.”

equip verb US /ɪˈkwɪp/

provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose

From this reading “In the meantime, I beg that you will equip them thoroughly with clothes, linen, etc., all good, but plain; and give me the account, which I will pay; for I do not intend that, from, this time forward the two boys should cost you one shilling.”

intend verb US /ˌɪnˈtend/

have in mind as a purpose

linen noun US /ˈlɪnən/

a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant

meantime noun US /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

prepare verb US /priˈper/

make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading “When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.”

reception noun US /rɪˈsepʃən/

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading “When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.”

shilling noun US /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

All words in this reading · 82

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.

accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/

a record or narrative description of past events

From this reading In the meantime, I beg that you will equip them thoroughly with clothes, linen, etc., all good, but plain; and give me the account, which I will pay; for I do not intend that, from, this time forward the two boys should cost you one shilling.

affairsnounUS /əˈferz/

matters of personal concern

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class

amauxiliary verbUS /æm/

the form of “be” used with “I”

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

ATprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

begverbUS /beɡ/

call upon in supplication; entreat

boysnounUS /bɔɪz/

plural of “boy” — a youthful male person

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

CHESTERFIELDnounUS /ˈtʃestərfiːld/

suave and witty English statesman remembered mostly for letters to his son (1694-1773)

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

clothesnounUS /kloʊðz/

clothing in general

costnounUS /kɑːst/

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

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

equipverbUS /ɪˈkwɪp/

provide with (something) usually for a specific purpose

etc

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

everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/

all things; all of a situation

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

faithfuladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪθfəl/

steadfast in affection or allegiance

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

forgotverbUS /fərˈɡɑːt/

inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/

at or to or toward the front

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

giveverbUS /ɡɪv/

cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

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

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

How

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

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

humbleadjectiveUS /ˈhʌmbəl/

low or inferior in station or quality

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

importantadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɔːrtənt/

of great significance or value

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

intendverbUS /ˌɪnˈtend/

have in mind as a purpose

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

lastadjectiveUS /læst/

immediately past

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

linennounUS /ˈlɪnən/

a fabric woven with fibers from the flax plant

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 TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

MADAMnounUS /ˈmædəm/

a woman of refinement

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

mepronounUS /miː/

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

meantimenounUS /ˈmiːntaɪm/

the time between one event, process, or period and another

MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/

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

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

payverbUS /peɪ/

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

Perny

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

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

placedadjectiveUS /pleɪst/

situated in a particular spot or position

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

plainadjectiveUS /pleɪn/

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/

the act of playing a musical instrument

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/

a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

prepareverbUS /priˈper/

make ready or suitable or equip in advance for a particular purpose or for some use, event, etc

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

receptionnounUS /rɪˈsepʃən/

the manner in which something is greeted

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

SAMEadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

schoolnounUS /skuːl/

an educational institution

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

seeingnounUS /ˈsiːɪŋ/

perception by means of the eyes

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

sendverbUS /send/

cause to go somewhere

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

servantnounUS /ˈsɜːrvənt/

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

shillingnounUS /ˈʃɪlɪŋ/

the basic unit of money in Uganda; equal to 100 cents

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

soonadverbUS /suːn/

in the near future

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

thempronounUS /ðem/

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

thoroughlyadverbUS /ˈθɜːroʊli/

in an exhaustive manner

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

TOparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

truthnounUS /truːθ/

a fact that has been verified

From this reading I am, with great truth, Madam, your faithful, humble servant, CHESTERFIELD.

twonounUS /tuː/

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

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

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

From this reading How soon would you have them placed at school?

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading TO THE SAME, AT LONDON MADAM: The last time that I had the pleasure of seeing you, I was so taken up in playing with the boys that I forgot their more important affairs.

yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/

belonging to the person or people being spoken to

From this reading When I know your pleasure as to that, I will send to Monsieur Perny, to prepare everything for their reception.

Chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield holds 5 sentences, grouped into 1 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 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art contain?

Chapter 29 holds 5 sentences of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art, unabridged, divided into 1 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 5 sentences, grouped into 1 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 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art?

Work through the 1 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 1 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 29 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 29 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, 1766-71 On the Fine Art

Common questions about reading Letters to His Son, 1766-71 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, 1766-71 On the Fine Art?

Yes. All 472 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3360 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #3360, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art take to read?

About 39 minutes of reading across 95 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art section by section

How to work through Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

Open a chapter

Choose one of the 37 chapters of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art 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 His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art

Words and structures a reader meets early in Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Friend: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Received: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art; 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, 1766-71 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Former: A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.

Chapter XXIX · Chapter 29

What does chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art contain?

How do I study chapter 29 of Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art?

Can chapter 29 be read aloud to me?

Questions about reading Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art

How to read Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art section by section

Open a chapter

Read one section

Listen and tap

Vocabulary met early in Letters to His Son, 1766-71 On the Fine Art