The Works Of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters To His Son, Etc - Softcover

Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0371360927 ISBN 13: 9780371360927

Publisher: HardPress, 2019

Synopsis

The Works Of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters To His Son, Etc : To Which Is Prefixed, An Original Life Of The Author by Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield. A sequence of epistolary maxims and practical counsels from Chesterfield to his son, written in the 18th century to guide a young aristocrat through Europe’s courts. The letters cover how to thrive at Paris, London, Hanover, Berlin, and other continental and English venues, emphasizing that success rests less on merit than on worldly polish—dress, manners, language, tact, and the ability to adapt to different audiences. The work blends moral exhortation with political literacy, offering instruction on health, finances, letter-writing, secrecy, and self-command, alongside reflections on reading, theatre, Voltaire, Bolingbroke, and other figures. It presents a program for shaping a statesman: a life of broad historical knowledge, multilingualism, and refined social grace designed to win access to ministers, royalty, and influential circles. It also supplies translations, anecdotes, and commentary on parliaments, courts, and power dynamics, with an underlying theme that appearance and etiquette often amplify inner judgment and learning.

Edition details

• Publisher: HardPress
• Publication date: 2019
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0371360927
• ISBN 13: 9780371360927
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 776