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 XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art
Context Illustration Reading 1/79 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
LONDON, November 14, O.
S.
1749.
DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.
This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.
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 XII · Chapter 12

Chapter 12 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art is here in full — 398 sentences across 80 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/79 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
LONDON, November 14, O.
Line 2
S.
/es/
Line 3
1749.
Line 4
DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.
Line 5
This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

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.

consists verb US /kənˈsɪsts/

third-person singular of “consist” — originate

From this reading “This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.”

endeavors noun US /ɪnˈdevərz/

plural of “endeavor” — a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading “This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.”

modes noun US /moʊdz/

plural of “mode” — how something is done or how it happens

From this reading “This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.”

November noun US /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading “LONDON, November 14, O.”

oblige verb US /əˈblaɪdʒ/

force somebody to do something

From this reading “This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.”

occurs verb US /əˈkɜːrz/

third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading “DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.”

offices noun US /ˈɔːfəsəz/

plural of “office” — place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading “This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.”

practiced adjective US /ˈpræktəst/

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

From this reading “DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.”

All words in this reading · 42

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.

14

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

From this reading LONDON, November 14, O.

1749

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

From this reading 1749.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/

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

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

BOYnounUS /bɔɪ/

a youthful male person

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

commonadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmən/

belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

consistsverbUS /kənˈsɪsts/

third-person singular of “consist” — originate

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

DEARadjectiveUS /dɪr/

dearly loved

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

dutiesnounUS /ˈduːtiz/

plural of “duty” — the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

endeavorsnounUS /ɪnˈdevərz/

plural of “endeavor” — a purposeful or industrious undertaking (especially one that requires effort or boldness)

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/

all the members of a group, with none left out

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

fellow-creatures

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

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

generaladjectiveUS /ˈdʒenərəl/

applying to all or most members of a category or group

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/

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

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

good-breeding

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

good-nature

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

independentadjectiveUS /ˌɪndɪˈpendənt/

free from external control and constraint

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

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, November 14, O.

mannounUS /mæn/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

modesnounUS /moʊdz/

plural of “mode” — how something is done or how it happens

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/

concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

naturaladjectiveUS /ˈnætʃərəl/

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

NovembernounUS /noʊˈvembər/

the month following October and preceding December

From this reading LONDON, November 14, O.

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, November 14, O.

obligeverbUS /əˈblaɪdʒ/

force somebody to do something

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

occursverbUS /əˈkɜːrz/

third-person singular of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

officesnounUS /ˈɔːfəsəz/

plural of “office” — place of business where professional or clerical duties are performed

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

pleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

practicedadjectiveUS /ˈpræktəst/

having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

SnounUS /es/

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

From this reading S.

sensenounUS /sens/

a general conscious awareness

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

shortadjectiveUS /ʃɔːrt/

primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

ThereadverbUS /ðer/

in or at that place or location

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This good-breeding is general, independent of modes, and consists in endeavors to please and oblige our fellow-creatures by all good offices, short of moral duties.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading DEAR BOY: There is a natural good-breeding which occurs to every man of common sense, and is practiced by every man, of common good-nature.

Chapter 12 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield holds 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 12 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art contain?

Chapter 12 holds 398 sentences of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art, unabridged, divided into 80 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 12 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 398 sentences, grouped into 80 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 12 of Letters to His Son, Complete On the Fine Art?

Work through the 80 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 80 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 12 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 12 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.