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The Romany Rye
The Romany Rye

Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

Chapter 39 of The Romany Rye is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Romany Rye
Context Illustration Reading 1/32 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.
If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.
The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.
The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.
Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.
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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 Romany Rye

Chapter XXXIX · Chapter 39

Chapter 39 of The Romany Rye is here in full — 164 sentences across 33 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/32 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.
Line 2
If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.
Line 3
The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.
Line 4
The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.
Line 5
Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

All words in this reading · 84

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.

A

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

abuse

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

an

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

and

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

as

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

assailed

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

attacked

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

author

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

been

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

best

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

blemishes

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

book

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

but

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

by

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

bye

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

calculated

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

call

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

calling

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

certain

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

contains

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

critic

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

criticism

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

critics

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

detected

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

duty

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

excellent

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

fable

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

founded

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

had

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

has

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

have

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

however

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

If

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

in

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

indeed

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

individuals

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

Iriarte

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

is

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

Lavengro

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

leech

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

make

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

malice

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

malignant

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

misrepresentation

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

much

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

not

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

nothing

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

of

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

on

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

one

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

ones

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

out

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

part

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

passages

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

play

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

plenty

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

pointed

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

presently

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

say

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

set

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

show

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

some

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

Spaniard

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

the

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

them

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

themselves

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

there

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

these

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

they

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

to

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

true

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

truth

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

Upon

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

From this reading Upon true and upon malignant criticism there is an excellent fable by the Spaniard Iriarte.

valuable

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

viper

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

From this reading The duty of the true critic is to play the part of a leech, and not of a viper.

virulence

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

was

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

what

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

whatever

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

wilful

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

will

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

with

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

From this reading A certain set of individuals calling themselves critics have attacked Lavengro with much virulence and malice.

would

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

From this reading If what they call criticism had been founded on truth, the author would have had nothing to say.

writer

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

From this reading The book contains plenty of blemishes, some of them, by the bye, wilful ones, as the writer will presently show; not one of these, however, has been detected and pointed out; but the best passages in the book, indeed whatever was calculated to make the book valuable, have been assailed with abuse and misrepresentation.

Chapter 39 of The Romany Rye by George Borrow holds 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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 39 of The Romany Rye contain?

Chapter 39 holds 164 sentences of The Romany Rye, unabridged, divided into 33 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 39 of The Romany Rye by George Borrow exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 164 sentences, grouped into 33 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 39 of The Romany Rye?

Work through the 33 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 33 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 39 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 39 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 Romany Rye

Common questions about reading The Romany Rye by George Borrow on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Romany Rye?

Yes. All 5355 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #422 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Romany Rye is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #422, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Romany Rye take to read?

About 446 minutes of reading across 1071 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Romany Rye section by section

How to work through The Romany Rye section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 40 chapters of The Romany Rye 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 The Romany Rye

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Romany Rye, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Making
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romany Rye; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Linch-pin--the
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romany Rye; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sound
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romany Rye; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sleeper--breakfast--the
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Romany Rye; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.