Learn English through classic literature • Five-line readings • Clear US narration
VELMORA ACADEMY
Academy of Archival Languages & Memory Studies
Menu Close
The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen
The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen
Context Illustration Reading 1/18 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.
The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.
I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.
The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.
I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.
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 Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen

Chapter VII · Chapter 7

Chapter 7 of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen is here in full — 91 sentences across 19 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/18 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.
Line 2
The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.
Line 3
I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.
Line 4
The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.
Line 5
I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

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.

Books noun US /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading “I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.”

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 This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

abandoned

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

adventure

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

an

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

and

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

answered

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

as

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

behaviour

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

bills

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

blank

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

blunders

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

booksnounUS /bʊks/

Bound written or printed works.

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

but

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

by

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

came

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

cast

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

changed

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

committed

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

conclusion

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

conduct

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

considered

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

customer

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

day

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

despatch

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

detestable

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

different

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

engrossed

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

entered

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

every

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

experiment

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

fallacious

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

file

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

first

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

for

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

forgot

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

fortune

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

goods

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

great

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

had

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

haste

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

heard

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

hopeful

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

I

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

if

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

in

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

intruder

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

it

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

life

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

lost

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

meditations

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

mistook

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

most

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

my

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

neglected

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

now

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

of

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

or

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

out

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

part

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

pounds

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

presented

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

price

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

question

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

receipts

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

regulate

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

From this reading I mistook the price of my goods, committed blunders in my bills, forgot to file my receipts, and neglected to regulate my books.

rest

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

scarcely

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

servants

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

shop

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

so

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

that

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

the

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

thirty

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

This

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

thoughts

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

ticket

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

tickets

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

to

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

upon

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

was

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

From this reading This experiment was fallacious; the first day presented the hopeful ticket, a detestable blank.

were

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

wholly

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

From this reading I had now wholly changed the cast of my behaviour and the conduct of my life.

whom

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

From this reading The shop was for the most part abandoned to my servants, and if I entered it, my thoughts were so engrossed by my tickets, that I scarcely heard or answered a question, but considered every customer as an intruder upon my meditations, whom I was in haste to despatch.

with

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

From this reading The rest came out with different fortune, and in conclusion I lost thirty pounds by this great adventure.

Chapter 7 of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen by Samuel Johnson holds 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen contain?

Chapter 7 holds 91 sentences of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen, unabridged, divided into 19 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 7 of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen by Samuel Johnson exactly as it stands in the public-domain source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 91 sentences, grouped into 19 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 The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen?

Work through the 19 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 19 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 The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen

Common questions about reading The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen by Samuel Johnson on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen?

Yes. All 2681 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #577 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #577, a public-domain edition. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen take to read?

About 223 minutes of reading across 537 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen section by section

How to work through The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 31 chapters of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen 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 Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Misella's
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Description
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Prostitute
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Effect
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of Samuel Johnson, in Sixteen; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.