LETTERS TO HIS SON
By the EARL OF CHESTERFIELD
on the Fine Art of becoming a
MAN OF THE WORLD
and a
GENTLEMAN
CONTENTS
[ SPECIAL INTRODUCTION ]
[ 1746-1747 ]
[ LETTER II ]
[ LETTER III ]
[ LETTER IV ]
[ LETTER V ]
[ LETTER VI ]
[ LETTER VII ]
[ LETTER VIII ]
[ LETTER IX ]
[ LETTER X ]
[ LETTER XI ]
[ LETTER XII ]
[ LETTER XIII ]
[ LETTER XIV ]
[ LETTER XV ]
[ LETTER XVI ]
[ LETTER XVII ]
[ LETTER XVIII ]
[ LETTER XIX ]
[ LETTER XX ]
[ LETTER XXI ]
[ LETTER XXII ]
[ LETTER XXIII ]
[ 1748 ]
[ LETTER XXV ]
[ LETTER XXVI ]
[ LETTER XXVII ]
[ LETTER XXVIII ]
[ LETTER XXIX ]
[ LETTER XXX ]
[ LETTER XXXI ]
[ LETTER XXXII ]
[ LETTER XXXIII ]
[ LETTER XXXIV ]
[ LETTER XXXV ]
[ LETTER XXXVI ]
[ LETTER XXXVII ]
[ LETTER XXXVIII ]
[ LETTER XXXIX ]
[ LETTER XL ]
[ LETTER XLI ]
[ LETTER XLII ]
[ LETTER XLIII ]
[ LETTER XLIV. ]
[ LETTER XLV ]
[ LETTER XLVI ]
[ LETTER XLVII ]
[ LETTER XLVIII ]
[ LETTER XLIX ]
[ LETTER L ]
[ LETTER LI ]
[ LETTER LII ]
[ LETTER LIII ]
[ LETTER LIV ]
[ LETTER LV ]
[ LETTER LVI ]
[ LETTER LVII ]
[ LETTER LVIII ]
[ LETTER LIX ]
[ LETTER LX ]
[ LETTER LXI ]
[ 1749 ]
[ LETTER LXIII ]
[ LETTER LXIV ]
[ LETTER LXV ]
[ LETTER LXVI ]
[ LETTER LXVII ]
[ LETTER LXVIII ]
[ LETTER LXIX ]
[ LETTER LXX ]
[ LETTER LXXI ]
[ LETTER LXXII ]
[ LETTER LXXIII ]
[ LETTER LXXIV ]
[ LETTER LXXV ]
[ LETTER LXXVI ]
[ LETTER LXXVII ]
[ LETTER LXXVIII ]
[ LETTER LXXIX ]
[ LETTER LXXX ]
[ LETTER LXXXI ]
[ LETTER LXXXII ]
[ LETTER LXXXIII ]
[ LETTER LXXXIV ]
[ LETTER LXXXV ]
[ LETTER LXXXVI ]
[ LETTER LXXXVII ]
[ LETTER LXXXVIII ]
[ LETTER LXXXIX ]
[ LETTER XC ]
[ LETTER XCI ]
[ LETTER XCII ]
[ LETTER XCIII ]
[ LETTER XCIV ]
[ LETTER XCV ]
[ LETTER XCVI ]
[ LETTER XCVII ]
[ LETTER XCVIII ]
[ LETTER XCIX ]
[ 1750 ]
[ LETTER CI ]
[ LETTER CII ]
[ LETTER CIII ]
[ LETTER CIV ]
[ LETTER CV ]
[ LETTER CVI ]
[ LETTER CVII ]
[ LETTER CVIII ]
[ LETTER CIX ]
[ LETTER CX ]
[ LETTER CXI ]
[ LETTER CXII ]
[ LETTER CXIII ]
[ LETTER CXIV ]
[ LETTER CXV ]
[ LETTER CXVI ]
[ LETTER CXVII ]
[ LETTER CXVIII. ]
[ LETTER CXIX ]
[ LETTER CXX ]
[ LETTER CXXI ]
[ LETTER CXXII ]
[ LETTER CXXIII ]
[ LETTER CXXIV ]
[ LETTER CXXV ]
[ 1751 ]
[ LETTER CXXVII ]
[ LETTER CXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CXXIX ]
[ LETTER CXXX ]
[ LETTER CXXXI ]
[ LETTER CXXXII ]
[ LETTER CXXXIII ]
[ LETTER CXXXIV ]
[ LETTER CXXXV ]
[ LETTER CXXXVI ]
[ LETTER CXXXVII ]
[ LETTER CXXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CXXXIX ]
[ LETTER CXL ]
[ LETTER CXLI ]
[ LETTER CXLII ]
[ LETTER CXLIII ]
[ LETTER CXLIV ]
[ LETTER CXLV ]
[ LETTER CXLVI ]
[ LETTER CXLVII ]
[ LETTER CXLVIII ]
[ LETTER CXLIX ]
[ LETTER CL ]
[ LETTER CLI ]
[ LETTER CLII ]
[ LETTER CLIII ]
[ LETTER CLIV ]
[ 1752 ]
[ LETTER CLVI ]
[ LETTER CLVII ]
[ LETTER CLVIII ]
[ LETTER CLIX ]
[ LETTER CLX ]
[ LETTER CLXI ]
[ LETTER CLXII ]
[ LETTER CLXIII ]
[ LETTER CLXIV ]
[ LETTER CLXV ]
[ LETTER CLXVI ]
[ LETTER CLXVII ]
[ LETTER CLXVIII ]
[ LETTER CLXIX ]
[ LETTER CLXX ]
[ LETTER CLXXI ]
[ LETTER CLXXII ]
[ LETTER CLXXIII ]
[ LETTER CLXXIV ]
[ LETTER CLXXV ]
[ LETTER CLXXVI ]
[ LETTER CLXXVII ]
[ LETTER CLXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CLXXIX ]
[ LETTER CLXXX ]
[ LETTER CLXXXI ]
[ LETTER CLXXXII ]
[ LETTER CLXXXIII ]
[ LETTER CLXXXIV ]
[ 1753-1754 ]
[ LETTER CLXXXVI ]
[ LETTER CLXXXVII ]
[ LETTER CLXXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CLXXXIX ]
[ LETTER CXC ]
[ LETTER CXCI ]
[ LETTER CXCII ]
[ LETTER CXCIII ]
[ LETTER CXCIV ]
[ LETTER CXCV ]
[ LETTER CXCVI ]
[ LETTER CXCVII ]
[ LETTER CXCVIII ]
[ LETTER CXCIX ]
[ LETTER CC ]
[ LETTER CCI ]
[ LETTER CCII ]
[ 1756-1758 ]
[ LETTER CCIV ]
[ LETTER CCV ]
[ LETTER CCVI ]
[ LETTER CCVII ]
[ LETTER CCVIII ]
[ LETTER CCIX ]
[ LETTER CCX ]
[ LETTER CCXI ]
[ LETTER CCXII ]
[ LETTER CCXIII ]
[ LETTER CCXIV ]
[ LETTER CCXV ]
[ LETTER CCXVI ]
[ LETTER CCXVII ]
[ LETTER CCXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCXIX ]
[ LETTER CCXX ]
[ LETTER CCXXI ]
[ LETTER CCXXII ]
[ LETTER CCXXIII ]
[ LETTER CCXXIV ]
[ LETTER CCXXV ]
[ LETTER CCXXVI ]
[ LETTER CCXXVII ]
[ LETTER CCXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCXXIX ]
[ LETTER CCXXX ]
[ LETTER CCXXXI ]
[ LETTER CCXXXII ]
[ LETTER CCXXXIII ]
[ LETTER CCXXXIV ]
[ LETTER CCXXXV ]
[ LETTER CCXXXVI ]
[ 1759-1765 ]
[ LETTER CCXXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCXXXIX ]
[ LETTER CCXL ]
[ LETTER CCXLI ]
[ LETTER CCXLII ]
[ LETTER CCXLIII ]
[ LETTER CCXLIV ]
[ LETTER CCXLV ]
[ LETTER CCXLVI ]
[ LETTER CCXLVIII ]
[ LETTER CCXLIX ]
[ LETTER CCL ]
[ LETTER CCLI ]
[ LETTER CCLII ]
[ LETTER CCLIII ]
[ LETTER CCLIV ]
[ LETTER CCLV ]
[ LETTER CCLVI ]
[ LETTER CCLVII ]
[ LETTER CCLVIII ]
[ LETTER CCLIX ]
[ LETTER CCLX ]
[ LETTER CCLXI ]
[ LETTER CCLXII ]
[ LETTER CCLXIII ]
[ LETTER CCLXIV ]
[ LETTER CCLXV ]
[ LETTER CCLXVI ]
[ LETTER CCLXVII ]
[ LETTER CCLXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCLXIX ]
[ LETTER CCLXX ]
[ LETTER CCLXXI ]
[ LETTER CCLXXII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXIII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXIV ]
[ LETTER CCLXXV ]
[ LETTER CCLXXVI ]
[ LETTER CCLXXVII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXIX ]
[ LETTER CCLXXX ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXI ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXIII ]
[ 1766-1771 ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXV ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXVI ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXVII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCLXXXIX ]
[ LETTER CCXC ]
[ LETTER CCXCI ]
[ LETTER CCXCII ]
[ LETTER CCXCIII ]
[ LETTER CCXCIV ]
[ LETTER CCXCV ]
[ LETTER CCXCVI ]
[ LETTER CCXCVII ]
[ LETTER CCXCVIII ]
[ LETTER CCXCIX ]
[ LETTER CCC ]
[ LETTER CCCI ]
[ LETTER CCCII ]
[ LETTER CCCIII ]
[ LETTER CCCIV ]
[ LETTER CC ]
[ LETTER CCCVI ]
[ LETTER CCCVII ]
[ LETTER CCCVIII ]
[ LETTER CCCIX ]
[ LETTER CCCX ]
[ LETTER CCCXI ]
[ LETTER CCCXII ]
[ LETTER CCCXIII ]
[ LETTER CCCXIV ]
[ LETTER CCCXV ]
[ LETTER CCCXVI ]
[ LETTER CCCXVII ]
[ LETTER CCCXVIII ]
[ LETTER CCCXIX ]
[ LETTER CCCXX ]
[ [!-- H2 anchor --] ]
PG Editor’s Notes:
O. S. and N. S.: On consultation with several specialists I have learned that the abbreviations O. S. and N. S. relate to the difference between the old Julian calender used in England and the Gregorian calender which was the standard in Europe. In the mid 18th century it is said that this once amounted to a difference of eleven days. To keep track of the chronology of letters back and forth from England to France or other countries in mainland Europe, Chesterfield inserted in dates the designation O. S. (old style) and N. S. (new style).
Chesterfield demonstrates his classical education by frequent words and sometimes entire paragraphs in various languages. In the 1901 text these were in italics; in this etext edition I have substituted single quotation marks around these, as in ‘bon mot’, and not attempted to include the various accent marks of all the languages.
Only obvious typographical errors have been corrected. The original and occasionally variable spelling is retained throughout. D.W.