Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694–1773) was an English statesman, diplomat, man of letters, and a much-admired wit of his time. Many of his leading contemporaries praised Chesterfield’s winning manners, urbanity, and wit.
Stanhope wrote Lord Chesterfield’s Advice to his Son, on Men and Manners (1774,) a guide to manners and success, which essayist Samuel Johnson denounced as teaching “the morals of a whore, and the manners of a dancing master.”
Born in London, Lord Chesterfield was a Member of Parliament 1715–c.1723. ln 1730, he was made Lord Steward of the household. Until then, as a Whig, he had supported Sir Robert Walpole; but being expelled from office for voting against an excise bill, he became one of Walpole’s harshest antagonists. Chesterfield joined the ministry of Thomas Pelham-Holles in 1744, became Irish Lord Lieutenant in 1745, and was one of the principal secretaries of state in 1746.
Lord Chesterfield is the acclaimed author of Maxims, the popular title for the collection of letters of advice he wrote to his illegitimate son, to help him overcome the handicap of his birth (only legitimate sons could inherit.) The letters, dating from 1736, were published in 1774 by Philip’s widow. Originally titled Lord Chesterfield’s Advice to his Son, on Men and Manners; or, a New system of Education in Which the Principles of Politeness, the Art of Acquiring a Knowledge of the World, with Every Instruction Necessary to Form a Man of Honour, Virtue, Taste and Fashion are Laid Down, the letters are the forerunner of a modern self-help book.
Friendly with Jonathan Swift, Alexander Pope, John Gay, Voltaire, and Viscount Bolingbroke, Lord Chesterfield drew from Samuel Johnson a famous indignant letter. Besides the Letters to His Son, he also wrote Letters to his Godson and Successor (1890.) His Letters to Lord Huntingdon were published in 1923.
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I find, by experience, that the mind and the body are more than married, for they are most intimately united; and when one suffers, the other sympathizes.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: The Mind
The young leading the young, is like the blind leading the blind; they will both fall into the ditch.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Let dull critics feed upon the carcases of plays; give me the taste and the dressing.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Prepare yourself for the world, as the athletes used to do for their exercise; oil your mind and your manners, to give them the necessary suppleness and flexibility; strength alone will not do.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Manners
Learning is acquired by reading books, but the much more necessary learning, the knowledge of the world, is only to be acquired by reading men, and studying all the various facets of them.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Learning, Knowledge
All ceremonies are, in themselves, very silly things; but yet a man of the world should know them. — They are the outworks of manners and decency, which would too often be broken in upon, if it were not for that defence which keeps the enemy at a proper distance.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Know the true value of time; snatch, seize, and enjoy every moment of it. No idleness; no laziness; no procrastination; never put off till to-morrow what you can do to-day.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Time Management, Time, Procrastination, The Present, Truth, Honesty, Punctuality
Wise people may say what they will, but one passion is never cured by another.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Wisdom
I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Ceremony is necessary as the outwork and defense of manners.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Manners, Defense
Great talents, such as honor, virtue, learning, and parts, are above the generality of the world, who neither possess them themselves, nor judge of them rightly in others; but all people are judges of the lesser talents, such as civility, affability, and an obliging, agreeable address and manner, because they feel the good effects of them, as making society easy and pleasing.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Talent
In my mind, there is nothing so illiberal and so ill-bred, as audible laughter.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Laughter
There is hardly any place or any company where you may not gain knowledge, if you please; almost everybody know some one thing, and is glad to talk about that one thing.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Knowledge
Speak of the moderns without contempt, and of the ancients without idolatry.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Books, Literature
Can an author with reason complain that he is cramped and shackled if he is not at liberty to publish blasphemy, bawdry, or sedition?; all of which are equally prohibited in the freest governments, if they are wise and well-regulated ones.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Authors & Writing
Loud laughter is the mirth of the mob, who are only pleased with silly things; for true Wit or good Sense never excited a laugh since the creation of the world. A man of parts and fashion is therefore often seen to smile, but never heard to laugh.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Laughter
Mutual comulaisances, attentions, and sacrifices of little conveniences, are as natural an implied compact between civilized people, as protection and obedience are between kings and subjects; whoever, in either case, violates that compact, justly forfeits all advantages arising from it.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Pleasure is a reciprocal; no one feels it who does not at the same time give it. To be pleased, one must please.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Kindness, Giving, Happiness, Helpfulness, Service, Goodwill
We read every day with astonishment, things which we see everyday without surprise.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Persist and persevere, and you will find most things that are attainable, possible.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Persistence, Perseverance
I am sure that since I have had the full use of my reason, nobody has heard me laugh.
—Earl of Chesterfield
Topics: Laughter