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The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01
The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Cover illustration for The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01
Context Illustration Reading 1/64 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
SECTION I.
OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.
When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.
I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.
A little thought will show this to be impossible.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
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A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01

Chapter VIII · Chapter 8

Chapter 8 of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 is here in full — 324 sentences across 65 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/64 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
SECTION I.
/ˈsekʃən aɪ/
Line 2
OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.
/ʌv ðə ɪˈfɪʃənt kɑːz ʌv ðə səˈblaɪm ənd ˈbjuːtəfəl/
Line 3
When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.
Line 4
I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.
/aɪ duː nɑːt priˈtend ðæt aɪ ʃæl ˈevər biː ˈeɪbəl tuː ɪkˈspleɪn waɪ ˈsɜːrtən əˈfekʃənz ʌv ðə ˈbɑːdi prəˈduːs sʌtʃ ə dɪˈstɪŋkt ɪˈmoʊʃən ʌv maɪnd ənd noʊ ˈʌðər ɔːr waɪ ðə ˈbɑːdi ɪz æt ɔːl əˈfektɪd baɪ ðə maɪnd ɔːr ðə maɪnd baɪ ðə ˈbɑːdi/
Line 5
A little thought will show this to be impossible.
/ə ˈlɪtəl θɔːt wɪl ʃoʊ ðɪs tuː biː ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

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.

affections noun US /əˈfekʃənz/

plural of “affection” — a positive feeling of liking

From this reading “I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.”

distinct adjective US /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading “I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.”

efficient adjective US /ɪˈfɪʃənt/

being effective without wasting time or effort or expense

From this reading “OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.”

inquire verb US /ˌɪnˈkwaɪr/

address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading “When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.”

pretend verb US /priˈtend/

make believe with the intent to deceive

From this reading “I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.”

section noun US /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading “SECTION I.”

sublime adjective US /səˈblaɪm/

inspiring awe

From this reading “OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.”

ultimate adjective US /ˈʌltəmət/

furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme

From this reading “When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.”

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 I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

affectedadjectiveUS /əˈfektɪd/

acted upon; influenced

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

affectionsnounUS /əˈfekʃənz/

plural of “affection” — a positive feeling of liking

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

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 I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

ANDconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

BEAUTIFULadjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/

delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/

the qualities that give pleasure to the senses

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/

the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

canmodal verbUS /kæn/

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

CAUSEnounUS /kɑːz/

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/

definite but not specified or identified

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

comeverbUS /kʌm/

move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

distinctadjectiveUS /dɪˈstɪŋkt/

(often followed by “from”) not alike; different in nature or quality

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

EFFICIENTadjectiveUS /ɪˈfɪʃənt/

being effective without wasting time or effort or expense

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/

any strong feeling

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

everadverbUS /ˈevər/

at any time

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

explainverbUS /ɪkˈspleɪn/

make plain and comprehensible

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

IpronounUS /aɪ/

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

From this reading SECTION I.

impossibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɑːsəbəl/

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading A little thought will show this to be impossible.

inquireverbUS /ˌɪnˈkwaɪr/

address a question to and expect an answer from

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

intendverbUS /ˌɪnˈtend/

have in mind as a purpose

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/

moving to the inside of something

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/

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

From this reading A little thought will show this to be impossible.

mindnounUS /maɪnd/

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

OFprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

otheradjectiveUS /ˈʌðər/

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

pretendverbUS /priˈtend/

make believe with the intent to deceive

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

produceverbUS /prəˈduːs/

bring forth or yield

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

sayverbUS /seɪ/

express in words

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

SECTIONnounUS /ˈsekʃən/

a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)

From this reading SECTION I.

shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

showverbUS /ʃoʊ/

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading A little thought will show this to be impossible.

SUBLIMEadjectiveUS /səˈblaɪm/

inspiring awe

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

sublimitynoun

nobility in thought or feeling or style

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

THEdeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading OF THE EFFICIENT CAUSE OF THE SUBLIME AND BEAUTIFUL.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading A little thought will show this to be impossible.

thoughtnounUS /θɔːt/

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading A little thought will show this to be impossible.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

ultimateadjectiveUS /ˈʌltəmət/

furthest or highest in degree or order; utmost or extreme

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/

fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

WhenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

whynounUS /waɪ/

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading I do not pretend that I shall ever be able to explain why certain affections of the body produce such a distinct emotion of mind, and no other; or why the body is at all affected by the mind, or the mind by the body.

willmodal verbUS /wɪl/

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading A little thought will show this to be impossible.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading When I say, I intend to inquire into the efficient cause of sublimity and beauty, I would not be understood to say, that I can come to the ultimate cause.

Chapter 8 of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 by Edmund Burke holds 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 8 of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 contain?

Chapter 8 holds 324 sentences of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01, unabridged, divided into 65 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 8 of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 by Edmund Burke exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 324 sentences, grouped into 65 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 8 of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01?

Work through the 65 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 65 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 8 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 8 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 the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01

Common questions about reading The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 by Edmund Burke on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01?

Yes. All 4463 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #15043 are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 is used?

Project Gutenberg eBook #15043, unabridged. The Project Gutenberg header, footer and licence are removed.

How long does The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 take to read?

About 371 minutes of reading across 893 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 section by section

How to work through The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01 section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

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  2. Read one section

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  3. Listen and tap

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Vocabulary met early in The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01

Words and structures a reader meets early in The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Passion
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Caused
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Sublime
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.
Terror
A word that appears in the opening chapter of The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke — Vol. 01; the reader can tap it to hear it and see its dictionary entry.