Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Talleyrand Maxim
The Talleyrand Maxim

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Talleyrand Maxim is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Talleyrand Maxim
Context Illustration Reading 1/39 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.
"That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.
"Who's after him, now?"
And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.
If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.
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.

The Talleyrand Maxim

Chapter XVI · Chapter 16

Chapter 16 of The Talleyrand Maxim is here in full — 198 sentences across 40 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/39 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.
Line 2
"That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.
Line 3
"Who's after him, now?"
Line 4
And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.
Line 5
If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

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.

advertisement noun US /ædˈvɜːrtəzmənt/

a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading “ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.”

communicate verb US /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/

transmit information

From this reading “If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.”

confirmatory adjective US /kənˈfɜːrmətɔːri/

serving to support or corroborate

From this reading “ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.”

murmuring noun US /ˈmɜːrmərɪŋ/

a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading “And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.”

partner noun US /ˈpɑːrtnər/

a person's partner in marriage

From this reading “ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.”

phraseology noun US /ˌfreɪziˈɔːlɔːdʒi/

the manner in which something is expressed in words

From this reading “And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.”

practice noun US /ˈpræktəs/

a customary way of operation or behavior

From this reading “And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.”

solicitor noun US /səˈlɪsətər/

a petitioner who solicits contributions or trade or votes

From this reading “And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.”

All words in this reading · 55

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.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

advantagenounUS /ædˈvæntɪdʒ/

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

ADVERTISEMENTnounUS /ædˈvɜːrtəzmənt/

a public promotion of some product or service

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/

later than; following

From this reading "Who's after him, now?"

agoadverbUS /əˈɡoʊ/

in the past

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

AndconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

communicateverbUS /kəˈmjuːnəkeɪt/

transmit information

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

confirmatoryadjectiveUS /kənˈfɜːrmətɔːri/

serving to support or corroborate

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

coursenounUS /kɔːrs/

education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

Eldrick

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

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

glanceverbUS /ɡlæns/

throw a glance at; take a brief look at

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

greatlyadverbUS /ˈɡreɪtli/

to an extraordinary extent or degree

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

half-aloud

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

hepronounUS /hiː/

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

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

hearverbUS /hiːr/

perceive (sound) via the auditory sense

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading "Who's after him, now?"

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

JamesnounUS /dʒeɪmz/

a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

leftnounUS /left/

location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

lookedverbUS /lʊkt/

past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

murmuringnounUS /ˈmɜːrmərɪŋ/

a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

Nottingham

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

nowadverbUS /naʊ/

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

From this reading "Who's after him, now?"

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

Parrawhite

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

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

partnernounUS /ˈpɑːrtnər/

a person's partner in marriage

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

phraseologynounUS /ˌfreɪziˈɔːlɔːdʒi/

the manner in which something is expressed in words

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

practicenounUS /ˈpræktəs/

a customary way of operation or behavior

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

readverbUS /red/

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

restverbUS /rest/

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

saidadjectiveUS /sed/

being the one previously mentioned or spoken of

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

sharpadjectiveUS /ʃɑːrp/

(of something seen or heard) clearly defined

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

sixnounUS /sɪks/

the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

solicitornounUS /səˈlɪsətər/

a petitioner who solicits contributions or trade or votes

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/

a thing, without saying which

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

That's

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

From this reading "That's our Parrawhite, of course!" he said.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

townnounUS /taʊn/

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

undersigned

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

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

upadjectiveUS /ʌp/

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

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

wentverbUS /went/

inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

Who's

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

From this reading "Who's after him, now?"

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading If the said James Parrawhite will communicate with the undersigned he will hear something greatly to his advantage.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading ADVERTISEMENT Eldrick looked up at his partner with a sharp, confirmatory glance.

yearsnounUS /jɪrz/

a late time of life

From this reading And he went on to read the rest of the advertisement, murmuring its phraseology half-aloud: "'in practice as a solicitor at Nottingham and who left that town six years ago.

Chapter 16 of The Talleyrand Maxim by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher holds 198 sentences, grouped into 40 reading sections of at most 5 sentences. The text is the source edition, 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 16 of The Talleyrand Maxim contain?

Chapter 16 holds 198 sentences of The Talleyrand Maxim, unabridged, divided into 40 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 16 of The Talleyrand Maxim by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 198 sentences, grouped into 40 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 16 of The Talleyrand Maxim?

Work through the 40 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 40 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 16 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 16 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 Talleyrand Maxim

Common questions about reading The Talleyrand Maxim by J. S. (Joseph Smith) Fletcher on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Talleyrand Maxim?

Yes. All 4606 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #9834 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Talleyrand Maxim is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #9834, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Talleyrand Maxim take to read?

About 383 minutes of reading across 922 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Talleyrand Maxim section by section

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

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 27 chapters of The Talleyrand Maxim 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 Talleyrand Maxim

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

Quietly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Talleyrand Maxim; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Composedly
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Talleyrand Maxim; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Discharging
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Talleyrand Maxim; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Ordinary
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Talleyrand Maxim; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.