text_original: The histories of saints present the most dubious variety of literature in existence; to examine them by the scientific method, in the entire ab sence of corroborative documents, seems to me to condemn the whole inquiry from the start—it is simply learned idling....
text_transcription: THE HISTORIES OF SAINTS PRESENT THE MOST DUBIOUS VARIETY OF LITERATURE IN EXISTENCE TO EXAMINE THEM BY THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD IN THE ENTIRE ABSENCE OF CORROBORATIVE DOCUMENTS SEEMS TO ME TO CONDEMN THE WHOLE INQUIRY FROM THE START IT IS SIMPLY LEARNED IDLING
phonemes: ðə hˈɪstɚɹiz ʌv sˈeɪnts pɹˈɛzənt ðə mˈoʊst dˈuːbɪəs vɚɹˈaɪəɾi ʌv lˈɪɾɚɹᵻtʃɚɹ ɪn ɛɡzˈɪstəns; tʊ ɛɡzˈæmɪn ðˌɛm baɪ ðə saɪəntˈɪfɪk mˈɛθəd, ɪnðɪ ɛntˈaɪɚɹ ˈæb sˈɛns ʌv kɚɹˈɑːbɹətˌɪv dˈɑːkjuːmənts, sˈiːmz tə mˌiː tə kəndˈɛm ðə hˈoʊl ˈɪŋkwɚɹi fɹʌmðə stˈɑːɹt—ɪɾ ɪz sˈɪmpli lˈɜːnd ˈaɪdlɪŋ....