Letters Written by Lord Chesterfield to His Son, Volume 2 |
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acquainted Adieu affairs assure attention Bath believe bien Blackheath bless bonne c'est character consequently conversation countenance Court dare say DEAR FRIEND desire Dresden Duke Duke of Newcastle elegancy engaging everything fashion faut favour fear France French give glad gout graces Hague Hamburgh Hanover Harte hear homme honour hope House King of Prussia knowledge l'on Lady least London Lord Lord Albemarle Lord Bolingbroke Lord Chatham Lord Stormont Madame manières manners matter means mind Ministers mohairs monde Monsieur Munich necessary never object observe Paris Parliament Pitt pleasing pleasure political pray present Prince qu'il qu'on racter Ratisbon reason received your letter rien sense Sir William Stanhope soon speak suppose sure talk tell things thought Titian told tout treaty trifling true truth whole wish women word write young
Popular passages
Page 76 - Maccleslield, who had the greatest share in forming the bill, and who is one of the greatest mathematicians and astronomers in Europe, spoke afterwards with infinite knowledge, and all the clearness that so intricate a matter would admit of; but as his words, his periods, and his utterance were not near so good as mine, the preference was most unanimously, though most unjustly, given to me.
Page 384 - Patience is a most necessary qualification for business ; many a man would rather you heard his story than granted his request. One must seem to hear the unreasonable demands of the petulant, unmoved, and the tedious details of the dull, untired. That is the least price a man must pay for a high station.
Page 352 - Everybody is puzzled how to account for this step ; though it would not be the first time that great abilities have been duped by low cunning. But be it what it will, he is now certainly only Earl of Chatham ; and no longer Mr. Pitt, in any respect whatever.
Page 230 - ... all the symptoms which I have ever met with in history, previous to great changes and revolutions in Government, now exist, and daily increase in France.
Page 117 - I was an absolute pedant : when I talked my best, I quoted Horace ; when I aimed at being facetious, I quoted Martial ; and when I had a mind to be a fine gentleman, I talked Ovid.
Page 2 - I fear rather worse ; always harder. A young liar will be an old one ; and a young knave, will only be a greater knave as he grows older. But should a bad young heart, accompanied with a good head (which by the way...
Page 76 - ... not. For my own part, I could just as soon have talked Celtic or Sclavonian to them as astronomy, and they would have understood me full as well ; so I resolved to do better than speak to the purpose, and to please instead of informing them...
Page 258 - Astrcea reliquit, kings and princes die of natural deaths; even war is pusillanimously carried on in this degenerate age ; quarter is given ; towns are taken, and the people spared : even in a storm, a woman can hardly hope for the benefit of a rape.
Page 404 - All ceremonies are in themselves very silly things ; but yet, a man of the world should know them. They are the outworks of Manners and Decencj', which would be too often broken in upon, if it were not for that defence, which keeps the enemy at a proper distance. It is for that reason that I always treat fools and coxcombs with great ceremony ; true good breeding not being a sufficient barrier against them.
Page 67 - He disputes with heat, and indiscriminately ; mindless of the rank, character, and situation of those with whom he disputes : absolutely ignorant of the several gradations of familiarity or respect ; he is exactly the same to his superiors, his equals, and his inferiors; and therefore, by a necessary consequence, absurd to two of the three. Is it possible to love such a man ? No. The utmost I can do for him, is to consider him a respectable Hottentot...