Works, Including His Letters to His Son, &c: To which is Prefixed an Original Life of the Author |
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acquired Adieu advantage answer attention authors believe bien body called character Chesterfield common consequently consider considerable conversation court deal DEAR DEAR BOY DEAR FRIEND deserve desire engaging English expect extremely fashion former France French frequent FRIEND give graces hand Harte hear hope House Italy keep King knowledge language late learning least less letter live London look Lord manners matter means merit mind minister nature necessary never object observe occasion opinion Paris particular person pleasing pleasure political present Prince proper qu'il reason received respect Rome seems sense shew short soon speak suppose sure tell thing thought tion true truth turn vous whole wish write young
Popular passages
Page lv - The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind ; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it ; till I am solitary, and cannot impart it ; till I am known, and do not want it. I hope it is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received, or to be unwilling that the public should consider me as owing that to a patron which Providence has enabled me to do for myself.
Page lv - Is not a patron, my lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind ; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary, and cannot impart it; till I am known, and do not want it.
Page lv - Seven years, my lord, have now passed since I waited in your outward rooms, or was repulsed from your door ; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties, of which it is useless to complain, and have brought it at last to the verge of publication, without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of favour.
Page lv - I had exhausted all the art of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess. I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected, be it ever so little.
Page lv - Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less ; for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation, my Lord, " Your Lordship's most humble, " Most obedient servant,
Page 129 - ... man of sense laughs at it, at the same time that he knows he must not neglect it: there are a thousand foolish customs of this kind, which not being criminal must be complied with, and even cheerfully, by men of sense. Diogenes the Cynic was a wise man for despising them ; but a fool for showing it. Be wiser than other people, if you can ; but do not tell them so.
Page 279 - In mixed companies whoever is admitted to make part of them is for the time at least supposed to be upon a footing of equality with the rest ; and consequently as there is no one principal object of awe and respect, people are apt to take a greater latitude in their...
Page xxi - Non amo te, Sabidi, nee possum dicere quare, Hoc tantum possum dicere, non amo te " — * * Thus Englished by the famous Tom Brown :
Page 153 - For my own part, I used to think myself in company as much above me, when I was with Mr Addison and Mr Pope, as if I had been with all the princes in Europe.
Page 205 - Women, then, are only children of a larger growth ; they have an entertaining tattle, and sometimes wit ; but for solid, reasoning good sense, I never in my life knew one that had it, or who reasoned or acted consequentially for four and twenty hours together.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Works, Including His Letters to His Son, &c: To which is Prefixed an Original Life of the Author |
| Author | Philip Dormer Stanhope Earl of Chesterfield |
| Publisher | Harper & Brothers, 1853 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 23 Feb 2006 |
| Length | 647 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |