Produced by David Widger
LETTERS TO HIS SON 1752
By the EARL OF CHESTERFIELD
on the Fine Art of becoming a
MAN OF THE WORLD
and a
GENTLEMAN
LETTER CLV
LONDON, January 2, O. S. 1752.
MY DEAR FRIEND: Laziness of mind, or inattention, are as great enemies toknowledge as incapacity; for, in truth, what difference is there betweena man who will not, and a man who cannot be informed? This differenceonly, that the former is justly to be blamed, the latter to be pitied.And yet how many there are, very capable of receiving knowledge, who fromlaziness, inattention, and incuriousness, will not so much as ask for it,much less take the least pains to acquire it!
Our young English travelers generally distinguish themselves by avoluntary privation of all that useful knowledge for which they are sentabroad; and yet, at that age, the most useful knowledge is the most easyto be acquired; conversation being the book, and the best book in whichit is contained. The drudgery of dry grammatical learning is over, andthe fruits of it are mixed with, and adorned by, the flowers ofconversation. How many of our young men have been a year at Rome, and aslong at Paris, without knowing the meaning and institution of theConclave in the former, and of the parliament in the latter? and thismerely for want of asking the first people they met with in those severalplaces, who could at least have given them some general notions of thosematters.
You will, I hope, be wiser, and omit no opportunity (for opportunitiespresent themselves every hour of the day) of acquainting yourself withall those political and constitutional particulars of the kingdom andgovernment of France. For instance, when you hear people mention leChancelier, or 'le Garde de Sceaux', is it any great trouble for you toask, or for others to tell you, what is the nature, the powers, theobjects, and the profits of those two employments, either when joinedtogether, as they often are, or when separate, as they are at present?When you hear of a gouverneur, a lieutenant du Roi, a commandant, and anintendant of the same province, is, it not natural, is it not becoming,is it not necessary, for a stranger to inquire into their respectiverights and privileges? And yet, I dare say, there are very few Englishmenwho know the difference between the civil department of the Intendant,and the military powers of the others. When you hear (as I am persuadedyou must) every day of the 'Vingtieme', which is one in twenty, andconsequently five per cent., inquire upon what that tax is laid, whetherupon lands, money, merchandise, or upon all three; how levied, and whatit is supposed to produce. When you find in books: (as you willsometimes) allusion to particular laws and customs, do not rest till youhave traced them up to their source. To give you two examples: you willmeet in some French comedies, 'Cri', or 'Clameur de Haro'; ask what itmeans, and you will be told that it is a term of the law in Normandy, andmeans citing, arresting, or obliging any person to appear in the courtsof justice, either upon a civil or a criminal account; and that it isderived from 'a Raoul', which Raoul was anciently Duke of Normandy, and aprince eminent for his justice; insomuch, that when any injustice wascommitted, the cry immediately was, 'Venez, a Raoul, a Raoul', whichwords are now corrupted and jumbled into 'haro'. Another, 'Le vol duChapon, that is, a certain district of ground immediately c