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The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3
The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3
Context Illustration Reading 1/77 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.
"Iris, d'ye hear?
Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!
Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.
Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3

Chapter XXVIII · Chapter 28

Chapter 28 of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 is here in full — 388 sentences across 78 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/77 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.
Line 2
"Iris, d'ye hear?
Line 3
Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!
Line 4
Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.
Line 5
Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

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.

equivocal adjective US /ɪˈkwɪvəkəl/

open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead

From this reading “Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.”

Iris noun US /ˈaɪrəs/

plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals

From this reading “It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.”

Juno noun US /ˈdʒuːnoʊ/

(Roman mythology) queen of the Olympian gods who protected marriage; wife and sister of Jupiter; counterpart of Greek Hera

From this reading “It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.”

maids noun US /meɪdz/

plural of “maid” — a female domestic

From this reading “Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!”

Rung noun US /rʌŋ/

a crosspiece between the legs of a chair

From this reading “It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.”

sharpest adjective US /ˈʃɑːrpəst/

superlative of “sharp” — (of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading “Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."”

tooth noun US /tuːθ/

hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense

From this reading “Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."”

virgins noun US /ˈvɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “virgin” — a person who has never had sex

From this reading “Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.”

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.

abigail

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

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 Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

Canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

chambermaidnoun

a maid who is employed to clean and care for bedrooms (now primarily in hotels)

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

charactersnounUS /ˈkærəktərz/

plural of “character” — an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)

From this reading Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.

d'ye

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

From this reading "Iris, d'ye hear?

endureverbUS /enˈdjʊr/

put up with something or somebody unpleasant

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

Envy's

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

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

equivocaladjectiveUS /ɪˈkwɪvəkəl/

open to two or more interpretations; or of uncertain nature or significance; or (often) intended to mislead

From this reading Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.

findverbUS /faɪnd/

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

GoverbUS /ɡoʊ/

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

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading "Iris, d'ye hear?

herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

inquireverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪr/

address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

IrisnounUS /ˈaɪrəs/

plants with sword-shaped leaves and erect stalks bearing bright-colored flowers composed of three petals and three drooping sepals

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

ItpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

JunonounUS /ˈdʒuːnoʊ/

(Roman mythology) queen of the Olympian gods who protected marriage; wife and sister of Jupiter; counterpart of Greek Hera

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

knowverbUS /noʊ/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

maidsnounUS /meɪdz/

plural of “maid” — a female domestic

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

mannersnounUS /ˈmænərz/

social deportment

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

mepronounUS /miː/

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

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

MindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

NodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

pureadjectiveUS /pjʊr/

free of extraneous elements of any kind

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

reasonnounUS /ˈriːzən/

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

RungnounUS /rʌŋ/

a crosspiece between the legs of a chair

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

sameadjectiveUS /seɪm/

Identical; not different.

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

seasonnounUS /ˈsiːzən/

a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

selfnounUS /self/

your consciousness of your own identity

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

sharpestadjectiveUS /ˈʃɑːrpəst/

superlative of “sharp” — (of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

stayverbUS /steɪ/

stay the same; remain in a certain state

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

ThatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

threenounUS /θriː/

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

toothnounUS /tuːθ/

hard bonelike structures in the jaws of vertebrates; used for biting and chewing or for attack and defense

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

unspottedadjective

without soil or spot or stain

From this reading Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.

virginsnounUS /ˈvɜːrdʒənz/

plural of “virgin” — a person who has never had sex

From this reading Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.

wantverbUS /wɑːnt/

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

whatpronounUS /wʌt/

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Mind what I say; I want three maids--inquire--No, stay!

whosedeterminerUS /huːz/

belonging to which person

From this reading Go find me three, whose manners pure Can Envy's sharpest tooth endure."

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

YesnounUS /jes/

an affirmative

From this reading Three virgins--Yes, unspotted all; No characters equivocal.

youpronounUS /juː/

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading It was about the self same season That Juno, with as little reason, Rung for her abigail; and, you know, Iris is chambermaid to Juno.

Chapter 28 of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 by Horace Walpole holds 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 28 of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 contain?

Chapter 28 holds 388 sentences of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3, unabridged, divided into 78 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 28 of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 by Horace Walpole exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 388 sentences, grouped into 78 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 28 of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3?

Work through the 78 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 78 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 28 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 28 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 The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3

Common questions about reading The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 by Horace Walpole on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3?

Yes. All 12570 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #4773 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #4773, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 take to read?

About 600 minutes of reading across 2514 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 section by section

How to work through The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  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 The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Thanks
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Present
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Venison--
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
George
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Letters of Horace Walpole, Earl of Orford — Volume 3; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.