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, Complete On the Fine Art
Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art is here in full — 478 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art
Context Illustration Reading 1/95 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LONDON, September 5, O.
S.
1748.
DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.
As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.
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, Complete On the Fine Art

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art is here in full — 478 sentences across 96 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/95 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LONDON, September 5, O.
Line 2
S.
/es/
Line 3
1748.
Line 4
DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.
Line 5
As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.
/æz juː hæv naʊ ɡɑːt ˈoʊvər ðə moʊst ˈdɪfəkəlt pɑːrt preɪ ɡoʊ ɑːn ˈdɪlədʒəntli ənd meɪk jərˈself ˌæbsəˈluːtli ˈmæstər ʌv ðə rest/

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.

absolutely adverb US /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading “As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.”

applied adjective US /əˈplaɪd/

concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles

From this reading “DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.”

assures verb US /əˈʃʊrz/

third-person singular of “assure” — make certain of

From this reading “DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.”

considering verb US /kənˈsɪdərɪŋ/

-ing form of “consider” — deem to be

From this reading “DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.”

diligently adverb US /ˈdɪlədʒəntli/

with diligence; in a diligent manner

From this reading “As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.”

extremely adverb US /ekˈstriːmli/

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

From this reading “DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.”

German noun US /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading “DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.”

September noun US /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading “LONDON, September 5, O.”

All words in this reading · 53

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.

1748

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

From this reading 1748.

5

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

From this reading LONDON, September 5, O.

absolutelyadverbUS /ˌæbsəˈluːtli/

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

appliedadjectiveUS /əˈplaɪd/

concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

AsconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

assuresverbUS /əˈʃʊrz/

third-person singular of “assure” — make certain of

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

BOYnounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

consideringverbUS /kənˈsɪdərɪŋ/

-ing form of “consider” — deem to be

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

difficultadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfəkəlt/

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

diligentlyadverbUS /ˈdɪlədʒəntli/

with diligence; in a diligent manner

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

extremelyadverbUS /ekˈstriːmli/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/

a person of German nationality

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

goverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

gotverbUS /ɡɑːt/

inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

Gravenkop

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

inclosed

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/

a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

letternounUS /ˈletər/

a written message addressed to a person or organization

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

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 5, O.

makeverbUS /meɪk/

engage in

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

masternounUS /ˈmæstər/

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

MrnounUS /ˈmɪstər/

a form of address for a man

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

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 5, O.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/

above and across; more than

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

partnounUS /pɑːrt/

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

prayverbUS /preɪ/

address a deity, a prophet, a saint or an object of worship; say a prayer

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/

conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading As you have now got over the most difficult part, pray go on diligently, and make yourself absolutely master of the rest.

SnounUS /es/

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

From this reading S.

SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/

the month following August and preceding October

From this reading LONDON, September 5, O.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

timenounUS /taɪm/

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

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 DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

yourspronounUS /jʊrz/

the one or ones belonging to the person spoken to

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

yourselfpronounUS /jərˈself/

used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action

From this reading DEAR BOY: I have received yours, with the inclosed German letter to Mr. Gravenkop, which he assures me is extremely well written, considering the little time that you have applied yourself to that language.

Chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield holds 478 sentences, grouped into 96 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, Complete On the Fine Art contain?

Chapter 7 holds 478 sentences of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art, unabridged, divided into 96 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of Letters to His Son, Complete 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 478 sentences, grouped into 96 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, Complete On the Fine Art?

Work through the 96 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 96 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 7 be read aloud to me?

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.

Questions about reading Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art

Common questions about reading Letters to His Son, Complete 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, Complete On the Fine Art?

Yes. All 10351 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #3361 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

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

Project Gutenberg eBook #3361, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

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

About 600 minutes of reading across 2071 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

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

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of Letters to His Son, Complete 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, Complete On the Fine Art

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

October
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Distresses
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Journey
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Heidelberg
A word that appears in the opening chapter of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.