Produced by David Widger
LETTERS TO HIS SON 1748
By the EARL OF CHESTERFIELD
on the Fine Art of becoming a
MAN OF THE WORLD
and a
GENTLEMAN
LETTER XXIV
January 2, O. S. 1748.
DEAR BOY: I am edified with the allotment of your time at Leipsig; whichis so well employed from morning till night, that a fool would say youhad none left for yourself; whereas, I am sure you have sense enough toknow, that such a right use of your time is having it all to yourself;nay, it is even more, for it is laying it out to immense interest, which,in a very few years, will amount to a prodigious capital.
Though twelve of your fourteen 'Commensaux' may not be the liveliestpeople in the world, and may want (as I easily conceive that they do) 'leton de la bonne campagnie, et les graces', which I wish you, yet praytake care not to express any contempt, or throw out any ridicule; which Ican assure you, is not more contrary to good manners than to good sense:but endeavor rather to get all the good you can out of them; andsomething or other is to be got out of everybody. They will, at least,improve you in the German language; and, as they come from differentcountries, you may put them upon subjects, concerning which they mustnecessarily be able to give you some useful informations, let them beever so dull or disagreeable in general: they will know something, atleast, of the laws, customs, government, and considerable families oftheir respective countries; all which are better known than not, andconsequently worth inquiring into. There is hardly any body good forevery thing, and there is scarcely any body who is absolutely good fornothing. A good chemist will extract some spirit or other out of everysubstance; and a man of parts will, by his dexterity and management,elicit something worth knowing out of every being he converses with.
As you have been introduced to the Duchess of Courland, pray go there asoften as ever your more necessary occupations will allow you. I am toldshe is extremely well bred, and has parts. Now, though I would notrecommend to you, to go into women's company in search of solidknowledge, or judgment, yet it has its use in other respects; for itcertainly polishes the manners, and gives 'une certaine tournure', whichis very necessary in the course of the world; and which Englishmen havegenerally less of than any people in the world.
I cannot say that your suppers are luxurious, but you must own they aresolid; and a quart of soup, and two pounds of potatoes, will enable youto pass the night without great impatience for your breakfast nextmorning. One part of your supper (the potatoes) is the constant diet ofmy old friends and countrymen,—[Lord Chesterfield, from the time he wasappointed Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, 1775, used always to call the Irishhis countrymen.]—the Irish, who are the healthiest and the strongestbodies of men that I know in Europe.
As I believe that many of my letters to you and to Mr. Harte havemiscarried, as well as some of yours and his to me; particularly one ofhis from Leipsig, to which he refers in a subsequent one, and which Inever received; I would have you, for the future, acknowledge the datesof all the letters which either of you shall receive from me; and I willdo the same on my part.
That which I received by the last mail, from you, was of the 25thNovember, N. S.; the mail before that brought m