Letters　to　His　Son；　1746…47
  by　The　Earl　of　Chesterfield
  LETTERS　TO　HIS　SON
  By　the　EARL　OF　CHESTERFIELD
  on　the　Fine　Art　of　becoming　a
  MAN　OF　THE　WORLD
  and　a
  GENTLEMAN
  SPECIAL　INTRODUCTION
  The　proud　Lord　Chesterfield　would　have　turned　in　his　grave　had　he　known
  that　he　was　to　go　down　to　posterity　as　a　teacher　and　preacher　of　the
  gospel　of　not　grace；　but〃the　graces；　the　graces；　the　graces。〃　　Natural
  gifts；　social　status；　open　opportunities；　and　his　ambition；　all　conspired
  to　destine　him　for　high　statesmanship。　　If　anything　was　lacking　in　his
  qualifications；　he　had　the　pluck　and　good　sense　to　work　hard　and
  persistently　until　the　deficiency　was　made　up。　　Something　remained
  lacking；　and　not　all　his　consummate　mastery　of　arts　could　conceal　that
  conspicuous　want；the　want　of　heart。
  Teacher　and　preacher　he　assuredly　is；　and　long　will　be；　yet　no　thanks　are
  his　due　from　a　posterity　of　the　common　people　whom　he　so　sublimely
  despised。　　His　pious　mission　was　not　to　raise　the　level　of　the　multitude；
  but　to　lift　a　single　individual　upon　a　pedestal　so　high　that　his　lowly
  origin　should　not　betray　itself。　　That　individual　was　his；　Lord
  Chesterfield's；　illegitimate　son；　whose　inferior　blood　should　be　given
  the　true　blue　hue　by　concentrating　upon　him　all　the　externals　of
  aristocratic　education。
  Never　had　pupil　so　devoted；　persistent；　lavish；　and　brilliant　a　guide；
  philosopher；　and　friend；　for　the　parental　relation　was　shrewdly　merged　in
  these。　　Never　were　devotion　and　uphill　struggle　against　doubts　of　success
  more　bitterly　repaid。　　Philip　Stanhope　was　born　in　1732；　when　his　father
  was　thirty…eight。　　He　absorbed　readily　enough　the　solids　of　the　ideal
  education　supplied　him；　but；　by　perversity　of　fate；　he　cared　not　a　fig
  for　〃the　graces；　the　graces；　the　graces；〃　which　his　father　so　wisely
  deemed　by　far　the　superior　qualities　to　be　cultivated　by　the　budding
  courtier　and　statesman。　　A　few　years　of　minor　services　to　his　country
  were　rendered；　though　Chesterfield　was　breaking　his　substitute　for　a
  heart　because　his　son　could　not　or　would　not　play　the　superfine
  gentlemanon　the　paternal　model；　and　then　came　the　news　of　his　death；
  when　only　thirty…six。　　What　was　a　still　greater　shock　to　the　lordly
  father；　now　deaf；　gouty；　fretful；　and　at　outs　with　the　world；　his
  informant　reported　that　she　had　been　secretly　married　for　several　years
  to　Young　Hopeful；　and　was　left　penniless　with　two　boys。　　Lord
  Chesterfield　was　above　all　things　a　practical　philosopher；　as　hard　and
  as　exquisitely　rounded　and　polished　as　a　granite　column。　　He　accepted
  the　vanishing　of　his　lifelong　dream　with　the　admirable　stolidity　of　a
  fatalist；　and　in　those　last　days　of　his　radically　artificial　life　he
  disclosed　a　welcome　tenderness；　a　touch　of　the　divine；　none　the　less　so
  for　being　common　duty；　shown　in　the　few　brief　letters　to　his　son's　widow
  and　to　〃our　boys。〃　　This；　and　his　enviable　gift　of　being　able　to　view　the
  downs　as　well　as　the　ups　of　life　in　the　consoling　humorous　light；　must
  modify　the　sterner　judgment　so　easily　passed　upon　his　characteristic
  inculcation；　if　not　practice；　of　heartlessness。
  The　thirteenth…century　mother　church　in　the　town　from　which　Lord
  Chesterfield's　title　came　has　a　peculiar　steeple；　graceful　in　its　lines；
  but　it　points　askew；　from　whatever　quarter　it　is　seen。　　The　writer　of
  these　Letters；　which　he　never　dreamed　would　be　published；　is　the　best
  self…portrayed　Gentleman　in　literature。　　In　everything　he　was　naturally　a
  stylist；　perfected　by　assiduous　art；　yet　the　graceful　steeple　is　somehow
  warped　out　of　the　beauty　of　the　perpendicular。　　His　ideal　Gentleman　is
  the　frigid　product　of　a　rigid　mechanical　drill；　with　the　mien　of　a
  posture　master；　the　skin…deep　graciousness　of　a　French　Marechal；　the
  calculating　adventurer　who　cuts　unpretentious　worthies　to　toady　to
  society　magnates；　who　affects　the　supercilious　air　of　a　shallow　dandy
  and　cherishes　the　heart　of　a　frog。　　True；　he　repeatedly　insists　on　the
  obligation　of　truthfulness　in　all　things；　and　of；　honor　in　dealing　with
  the　world。　　His　Gentleman　may；　nay；　he　must；　sail　with　the　stream；　gamble
  in　moderation　if　it　is　the　fashion；　must　stoop　to　wear　ridiculous　clothes
  and　ornaments　if　they　are　the　mode；　though　despising　his　weakness　all　to
  himself；　and　no　true　Gentleman　could　afford　to　keep　out　of　the　little
  gallantries　which　so　effectively　advertised　him　as　a　man　of　spirit　sad
  charm。　　Those　repeated　injunctions　of　honor　are　to　be　the　rule；　subject
  to　these　exceptions；　which　transcend　the　common　proprieties　when　the
  subject　is　the　rising　young　gentleman　of　the　period　and　his　goal　social
  success。　　If　an　undercurrent　of　shady　morality　is　traceable　in　this
  Chesterfieldian　philosophy　it　must；　of　course；　be　explained　away　by　the
  less　perfect　moral　standard　of　his　period　as　compared　with　that　of　our
  day。　　Whether　this　holds　strictly　true　of　men　may　be　open　to　discussion；
  but　his　lordship's　worldly　instructions　as　to　the　utility　of　women　as
  stepping…stones　to　favor　in　high　places　are　equally　at　variance　with　the
  principles　he　so　impressively　inculcates　and　with　modern　conceptions　of
  social　honor。　　The　externals　of　good　breeding　cannot　be　over…estimated；
  if　honestly　come　by；　nor　is　it　necessary　to　examine　too　deeply　into　the
  prime　motives　of　those　who　urge　them　upon　a　generation　in　whose　eyes
  matter　is　more　important　than　manner。　　Superficial　refinement　is　better
  than　none；　but　the　Chesterfield　pulpit　cannot　afford　to　shirk　the　duty　of
  proclaiming　loud　and　far　that　the　only　courtesy　worthy　of　respect　is　that
  'politesse　de　coeur；'　the　politeness　of　the　heart；　which　finds　expression
  in　consideration　for　others　as　the　ruling　principle　of　conduct。　　This
  militates　to　some　extent　against　the　assumption　of　fine　airs　without　the
  backing　of　fine　behavior；　and　if　it　tends　to　discourage　the　effort　to　use
  others　for　selfish　ends；　it　nevertheless　pays　better　in　the　long　run。
  Chesterfield's　frankness　in　so　many　confessions　of　sharp　practice　almost
  merits　his　canonization　as　a　minor　saint　of　society。　　Dr。　Johnson　has
  indeed　placed　him　on　a　Simeon　Stylites　pillar；　an　immortality　of　penance
  from　which　no　good　member　of　the　writers'　guild　is　likely　to　pray　his
  deliverance。　　He　commends　the　fine　art　and　high　science　of　dissimulation
  with　the　gusto　of　an　apostle　and　the　authority　of　an　expert。
  Dissimulate；　but　do　not　simulate；　disguise　your　real　sentiments；　but　do
  not　falsify　them。　　Go　through　the　world　with　your　eyes　and　ears　open　and
  mouth　mostly　shut。　　When　new　or　stale　gossip　is　brought　to　you；　never　let
  on　that　you　know　it　already；　nor　that　it　really　interests　you。　　The
  reading　of　these　Letters　is　better　than　hearing　the　average　comedy；　in
  which　the　wit　of　a　single　sentence　of　Chesterfield　suffices　to　carry　an
  act。　　His　man…of…the…world　philosophy　is　as　old　as　the　Proverbs　of
  Solomon；　but　will　always　be　fresh　and　true；　and　enjoyable　at　any　age；
  thanks　to　his　pithy　expression；　his　unfailing　common　sense；　his　sparkling
  wit　and　charming　humor。　　This　latter　gift　shows　in　the　seeming　lapses
  from　his　rigid　rule　requiring　absolute　elegance　of　expression　at　all
  times；　when　an　unexpected　coarseness；　in　some　provincial　colloquialism；
  crops　out　with　picturesque　force。　　The　beau　ideal　of　superfineness
  occasionally　enjoys　the　bliss　of　harking　back　to　mother　English。
  Above　all　the　defects　that　can　be　charged　against　the　Letters；　there
  rises　the　substantial　merit　of　an　honest　effort　to　exalt　the　gentle　in
  woman　and　manabove　the　merely　genteel。　　〃He　that　is　gentil　doeth　gentil
  deeds；〃　runs　the　mediaeval　saying　which　marks　the　distinction　between　the
  genuine　and　the　sham　in　behavior。　　A　later　age　had　it　thus：　〃Handsome　is
  as　handsome　does；〃　and　in　this　larger　sense　we　have　agreed　to　accept　the
  motto　of　William　of　Wykeham；　which　declares　that　〃Manners　maketh　Man。〃
  OLIVER　H。　G。　LEIGH
  LETTER　I
  BATH；　October　9；　O。　S。　1746
  DEAR　BOY：　Your　distresses　in　your　journey　from　Heidelberg　to
  Schaffhausen；　your　lying　upon　straw；　your　black　bread；　and　your　broken
  'berline；'　are　proper　seasonings　for　the　greater　fatigues　and　distresses
  which　you　must　expect　in　the　course　of　your　travels；　and；　if　one　had　a
  mind　to　moralize；　one　might　call　them　the　samples　of　the　accidents；　rubs；
  and　difficulties；　which　every　man　meets　with　in　his　journey　through　life。
  In　this　journey；　the　understanding　is　the　'voiture'　that　must　carry　you
  through；　and　in　proportion　as　that　is　stronger　or　weaker；　more　or　less　in
  repair；　your　journey　will　be　better　or　worse；　though　at　best　you　will　now
  and　then　find　some　bad　roads；　and　some　bad　inns。　　Take　care；　therefore；
  to　keep　that　necessary　'voiture'　in　perfect　good　repair；　examine；
  improve；　and　strengthen　it　every　day：　it　is　in　the　power；　and　ought　to　be
  the　care；　of　every　man　to　do　it；　he　that　neglects　it；　deserves　to　feel；
  and　certainly　will　feel；　the　fatal　effects　of　that　negligence。
  'A　propos'　of　negligence：　I　must　say　something　to　you　upon　that　subject。
  You　know　I　have　often　told　you；　that　my　affe