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Thomas Carlyle
Thomas Carlyle

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Thomas Carlyle is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

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This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.
Please do not remove it.
Do not change or edit the header without written permission.
The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.
Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Thomas Carlyle

Chapter I · Chapter 1

Chapter 1 of Thomas Carlyle is here in full — 126 sentences across 26 reading sections, with audio for every sentence and word.

Reading 1/25 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.
/ðɪs ˈhedər ʃʊd biː ðə fɜːrst θɪŋ siːn wen ˈvjuːɪŋ ðɪs ˈprɑːdʒekt ˈɡuːtənbərɡ faɪl/
Line 2
Please do not remove it.
/pliːz duː nɑːt riˈmuːv ɪt/
Line 3
Do not change or edit the header without written permission.
/duː nɑːt tʃeɪndʒ ɔːr ˈedət ðə ˈhedər wɪˈθaʊt ˈrɪtən pərˈmɪʃən/
Line 4
The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.
Line 5
Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

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.

author's noun US /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading “Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.”

Carlyle's noun US /kɑːrˈlaɪlz/

possessive form of “carlyle” — Scottish historian who wrote about the French Revolution (1795-1881)

From this reading “The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.”

edit verb US /ˈedət/

prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting

From this reading “Do not change or edit the header without written permission.”

Gutenberg noun US /ˈɡuːtənbərɡ/

German printer who was the first in Europe to print using movable type and the first to use a press (1400-1468)

From this reading “This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.”

header noun US /ˈhedər/

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

From this reading “This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.”

narrators noun US /ˈnereɪtərz/

plural of “narrator” — someone who tells a story

From this reading “The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.”

reliable adjective US /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/

worthy of reliance or trust

From this reading “Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.”

viewing noun US /ˈvjuːɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading “This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.”

All words in this reading · 65

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.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

attemptnounUS /əˈtempt/

earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

author'snounUS /ˈɔːθərz/

possessive form of “author” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

beauxiliary verbUS /biː/

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

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

byprepositionUS /baɪ/

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

Carlyle'snounUS /kɑːrˈlaɪlz/

possessive form of “carlyle” — Scottish historian who wrote about the French Revolution (1795-1881)

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/

cause to change; make different; cause a transformation

From this reading Do not change or edit the header without written permission.

chosennounUS /ˈtʃoʊzən/

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

doauxiliary verbUS /duː/

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Please do not remove it.

editverbUS /ˈedət/

prepare for publication or presentation by correcting, revising, or adapting

From this reading Do not change or edit the header without written permission.

eminentadjectiveUS /ˈemənənt/

standing above others in quality or position

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

estimatenounUS /ˈestəmət/

an approximate calculation of quantity or degree or worth

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

eventsnounUS /ɪˈvents/

plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

fileverbUS /faɪl/

record in a public office or in a court of law

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

followingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːloʊɪŋ/

about to be mentioned or specified

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

frequentlyadverbUS /ˈfriːkwəntli/

many times at short intervals

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

geniusnounUS /ˈdʒiːnjəs/

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

GutenbergnounUS /ˈɡuːtənbərɡ/

German printer who was the first in Europe to print using movable type and the first to use a press (1400-1468)

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

headernounUS /ˈhedər/

a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

impressionsnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃənz/

plural of “impression” — a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

informationnounUS /ˌɪnfərˈmeɪʃən/

a message received and understood

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

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

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Please do not remove it.

leadingadjectiveUS /ˈliːdɪŋ/

indicating the most important performer or role

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

legateenoun

someone to whom a legacy is bequeathed

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

lifenounUS /laɪf/

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

literaryadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəreri/

of or relating to or characteristic of literature

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

mainadjectiveUS /meɪn/

most important element

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

mostadverbUS /moʊst/

used to form the superlative

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

narratorsnounUS /ˈnereɪtərz/

plural of “narrator” — someone who tells a story

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Please do not remove it.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Do not change or edit the header without written permission.

permissionnounUS /pərˈmɪʃən/

approval to do something

From this reading Do not change or edit the header without written permission.

personaladjectiveUS /ˈpɜːrsɪnəl/

concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

PleaseverbUS /pliːz/

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

From this reading Please do not remove it.

previousadjectiveUS /ˈpriːviəs/

just preceding something else in time or order

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

ProjectverbUS /ˈprɑːdʒekt/

communicate vividly

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

recordnounUS /rəˈkɔːrd/

anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

reliableadjectiveUS /rɪˈlaɪəbəl/

worthy of reliance or trust

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

relyverbUS /rɪˈlaɪ/

have faith or confidence in

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

removeverbUS /riˈmuːv/

remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract

From this reading Please do not remove it.

renewedadjectiveUS /rɪˈnuːd/

restored to a new condition

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

seenverbUS /siːn/

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/

used to say what is right, expected, or advisable

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

slightnounUS /slaɪt/

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

studynounUS /ˈstʌdi/

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

suppliedverbUS /səˈplaɪd/

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

tantum

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

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading Of these the great author's chosen literary legatee is the most eminent and, in the main, the most reliable.

thingnounUS /θɪŋ/

a special situation

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

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

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

vidi

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

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

viewingnounUS /ˈvjuːɪŋ/

the display of a motion picture

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

whenconjunctionUS /wen/

at the time that

From this reading This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file.

withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading Do not change or edit the header without written permission.

workverbUS /wɜːrk/

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading The following record of the leading events of Carlyle's life and attempt to estimate his genius rely on frequently renewed study of his work, on slight personal impressions--"vidi tantum"--and on information supplied by previous narrators.

writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading Do not change or edit the header without written permission.

Chapter 1 of Thomas Carlyle by John Nichol holds 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 1 of Thomas Carlyle contain?

Chapter 1 holds 126 sentences of Thomas Carlyle, unabridged, divided into 26 reading sections.

This page carries chapter 1 of Thomas Carlyle by John Nichol exactly as it stands in the source edition, without abridgement. It runs to 126 sentences, grouped into 26 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 1 of Thomas Carlyle?

Work through the 26 sections in order, replaying any sentence and tapping unfamiliar words for their entries.

Each of the 26 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 1 be read aloud to me?

Yes — every sentence and every individual word in chapter 1 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 Thomas Carlyle

Common questions about reading Thomas Carlyle by John Nichol on this page, its source edition and its audio.

Is this the complete text of Thomas Carlyle?

Yes. All 0 sentences of Project Gutenberg eBook #? are kept, with a record of which sentences cover which part.

Which edition of Thomas Carlyle is used?

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

How long does Thomas Carlyle take to read?

About 5 minutes of reading across 0 sections of 5 sentences each, at an unhurried pace.

How to read Thomas Carlyle section by section

How to work through Thomas Carlyle section by section, using the audio and the tap-to-define vocabulary.

  1. Open a chapter

    Choose one of the 0 chapters of Thomas Carlyle 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 Thomas Carlyle

Words and structures a reader meets early in Thomas Carlyle, each tappable for pronunciation and meaning.

Chapter 1
One of the 0 chapters of Thomas Carlyle, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 2
One of the 0 chapters of Thomas Carlyle, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.
Chapter 3
One of the 0 chapters of Thomas Carlyle, divided into 5-sentence reading sections.