Letters to His Son, 1746–1747
On the Fine Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman

The first set in an extraordinary collection of personal letters, written by Lord ChesterfieldNot originally intended for publication, the celebrated and controversial correspondences between Lord Chesterfield and his son Philip were praised in their day as a complete manual of education, and despised by Samuel Johnson for teaching "the morals of a whore and the manners of a dancing-master." Reflecting the political craft of a leading statesman and the urbane wit of a man who associated with Pope, Addison, and Swift, Lord Chesterfield's letters reveal the author's political cynicism, his views on good breeding, and instruction to his son in etiquette and the worldly arts. These entertaining letters illuminate the fascinating aspects of eighteenth-century life and manners.