Toward the end of his life, the Chevalier de Seingalt (1725−1798) wrote a long memoir recounting his life and adventures. The Chevalier was a somewhat controversial figure, but since he met many famous people, including kings and writers, his memoir has become a valuable historical source about European society in the eighteenth century.
However, some critics have raised doubts about the accuracy of the memoir. They claim that the Chevalier distorted or invented many events in the memoir to make his life seem more exciting and glamorous than it really was.
For example, in his memoir the Chevalier claims that while living in Switzerland, he was very wealthy, and it is known that he spent a great deal of money there on parties and gambling. However, evidence has recently surfaced that the Chevalier borrowed considerable sums of money from a Swiss merchant. Critics thus argue that if the Chevalier had really been very rich, he would not have needed to borrow money.
Critics are also skeptical about the accuracy of the conversations that the Chevalier records in the memoir between himself and the famous writer Voltaire. No one doubts that the Chevalier and Voltaire met and conversed. However, critics complain that the memoir cannot possibly capture these conversations accurately, because it was written many years after the conversations occurred. Critics point out that it is impossible to remember exact phrases from extended conversations held many years earlier.
Critics have also questioned the memoir's account of the Chevalier's escape from a notorious prison in Venice, Italy. He claims to have escaped the Venetian prison by using a piece of metal to make a hole in the ceiling and climbing through the roof. Critics claim that while such a daring escape makes for enjoyable reading, it is more likely that the Chevalier's jailers were bribed to free him. They point out that the Chevalier had a number of politically well-connected friends in Venice who could have offered a bribe.
The lecture is actually providing evidences to the claims doubted in the passage. The professor provides explanation about why the adventures mentioned in the memoir are true.
Firstly, The professor says it is possible for a rich person to be out of money. The wealth of the Chevalier is mainly in properties. It takes time to convert the money to wealth. Furthermore, Chevalier had spent a lot of money when he was in Switzerland on parties and gambling. So it is possible he was out of money and had to borrow money form a Swiss merchant.
Secondly, Since Chevalier had a habit of taking notes. And the professor says he used to refer his notes when he was writing the memoir. Also he referred the journals published at that time. So it contradicts the claims of the critics that he could not have remembered all his memories of conversations with Voltaire and write and accurately.
Thirdly, Critics questioned his escape from notorious prison. And critics says he would have escaped by bribing the jailers rather than by making a hole in the ceiling and climbing through it. But professor says not only Chevalier but also the other prisoners in the jail are influential and wealthy. If Chevalier could bribe the jailers then the other prisoners also could do that. But there is no evidence to say the other prisoners escaped at that time. Moreover, the Venice government records states that the jail's ceiling had to be repaired after Chevalier's escape.It indeed strengthens Chevaliers's memoirs argument.
From what the professor has stated, the habits of Chevalier, either writing notes everyday or partying and gambling were the reasons for his First two actions. While the records shows that there was a repair happend to the roof provides evidence to the prison escape controversy .
Grammar and spelling errors:
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Suggestion:
...ed in the memoir are true. Firstly, The professor says it is possible for a ...
^^
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Suggestion: Also,
...s notes when he was writing the memoir. Also he referred the journals published at t...
^^^^
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...n the jail are influential and wealthy. If Chevalier could bribe the jailers then ...
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Line 13, column 514, Rule ID: POSSESIVE_APOSTROPHE[1]
Message: Possible typo: apostrophe is missing. Did you mean 'jails'' or 'jail's'?
Suggestion: jails'; jail's
...nice government records states that the jails ceiling had to be repaired after Cheval...
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Suggestion: It
... to be repaired after Chevaliers escape.It indeed strengthens Chevalierss memoirs ...
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Line 17, column 83, Rule ID: EVERYDAY_EVERY_DAY[3]
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Suggestion: every day
...bits of Chevalier, either writing notes everyday or partying and gambling were the reaso...
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... the reasons for his First two actions. While the records shows that there was a repa...
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Suggestion: .
...vidence to the prison escape controversy .
^^
Transition Words or Phrases used:
actually, also, but, first, firstly, furthermore, if, moreover, second, secondly, so, then, third, thirdly, while
Attributes: Values AverageValues Percentages(Values/AverageValues)% => Comments
Performance on Part of Speech:
To be verbs : 14.0 10.4613686534 134% => OK
Auxiliary verbs: 4.0 5.04856512141 79% => OK
Conjunction : 13.0 7.30242825607 178% => OK
Relative clauses : 8.0 12.0772626932 66% => More relative clauses wanted.
Pronoun: 23.0 22.412803532 103% => OK
Preposition: 36.0 30.3222958057 119% => OK
Nominalization: 5.0 5.01324503311 100% => OK
Performance on vocabulary words:
No of characters: 1509.0 1373.03311258 110% => OK
No of words: 301.0 270.72406181 111% => OK
Chars per words: 5.01328903654 5.08290768461 99% => OK
Fourth root words length: 4.16525528304 4.04702891845 103% => OK
Word Length SD: 2.68607548945 2.5805825403 104% => OK
Unique words: 163.0 145.348785872 112% => OK
Unique words percentage: 0.541528239203 0.540411800872 100% => OK
syllable_count: 457.2 419.366225166 109% => OK
avg_syllables_per_word: 1.5 1.55342163355 97% => OK
A sentence (or a clause, phrase) starts by:
Pronoun: 2.0 3.25607064018 61% => OK
Article: 6.0 8.23620309051 73% => OK
Subordination: 3.0 1.25165562914 240% => Less adverbial clause wanted.
Conjunction: 4.0 1.51434878587 264% => Less conjunction wanted as sentence beginning.
Preposition: 2.0 2.5761589404 78% => OK
Performance on sentences:
How many sentences: 19.0 13.0662251656 145% => OK
Sentence length: 15.0 21.2450331126 71% => The Avg. Sentence Length is relatively short.
Sentence length SD: 35.7460262596 49.2860985944 73% => OK
Chars per sentence: 79.4210526316 110.228320801 72% => OK
Words per sentence: 15.8421052632 21.698381199 73% => OK
Discourse Markers: 5.94736842105 7.06452816374 84% => OK
Paragraphs: 5.0 4.09492273731 122% => OK
Language errors: 8.0 4.19205298013 191% => OK
Sentences with positive sentiment : 8.0 4.33554083885 185% => OK
Sentences with negative sentiment : 7.0 4.45695364238 157% => OK
Sentences with neutral sentiment: 4.0 4.27373068433 94% => OK
What are sentences with positive/Negative/neutral sentiment?
Coherence and Cohesion:
Essay topic to essay body coherence: 0.178787527772 0.272083759551 66% => OK
Sentence topic coherence: 0.0565115764563 0.0996497079465 57% => OK
Sentence topic coherence SD: 0.0480065229204 0.0662205650399 72% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence: 0.0963014450246 0.162205337803 59% => OK
Paragraph topic coherence SD: 0.0549648297596 0.0443174109184 124% => OK
Essay readability:
automated_readability_index: 10.1 13.3589403974 76% => Automated_readability_index is low.
flesch_reading_ease: 64.71 53.8541721854 120% => OK
smog_index: 3.1 5.55761589404 56% => Smog_index is low.
flesch_kincaid_grade: 8.0 11.0289183223 73% => OK
coleman_liau_index: 11.48 12.2367328918 94% => OK
dale_chall_readability_score: 8.26 8.42419426049 98% => OK
difficult_words: 74.0 63.6247240618 116% => OK
linsear_write_formula: 5.5 10.7273730684 51% => Linsear_write_formula is low.
gunning_fog: 8.0 10.498013245 76% => OK
text_standard: 8.0 11.2008830022 71% => OK
What are above readability scores?
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Rates: 65.0 out of 100
Scores by essay e-grader: 19.5 Out of 30
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Note: the e-grader does NOT examine the meaning of words and ideas. VIP users will receive further evaluations by advanced module of e-grader and human graders.