'Finish the Rights of Woman - begin Chesterfields Letters to his son'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin Print: Book
'Read Locke and Chesterfield - De Senectute and the wanderer'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin Print: Book
'read the Wanderer - read de Senectute & Chesterfield'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Godwin Print: Book
'Read Lord Chesterfield - part of the Lay sermon'
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mary Shelley Print: Book
'Affectation is never more tiresome and ridiculous than in a letter. Madame de Sevigne was the best letter-writer that ever existed. I would rank Swift and Lord Chesterfield next. Voltaire to me is charming; but then I suspect he studied his epistles, as Lord Orford certainly did, and so had little merit. Heloise wrote beautifully in the old time; but we are very poor, both in England and Scotland, as to such matters'.
Century: 1800-1849 Reader/Listener/Group: Mr Sharpe Print: Book
'I remember when the [italics] Literary Property [end italics] of those letters [Lord Chesterfield's to his son] was contested in the Court of Session in Scotland, and Mr Henry Dundas, one of the counsel read this character [of the 'respectable Hottentot'], as an exhibition of Johnson, Sir David Dalrymple, Lord Hailes, one of the Judges, maintained with some warmth, that it was not intended as a portrait of Johnson, but of a late noble Lord, distinguished for abstruse science'.
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Henry Dundas Print: Book
'Lord Chesterfield's letters being mentioned, Johnson said, "It was not to be wondered at that they had so great a sale, considering that they were the letters of a statesman, a wit, one who had been so much in the mouths of mankind, one long accustomed [italics] virum volitare per ora [end italics]".'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
' [Johnson said] Lord Chesterfield's "Letters to his Son", I think, might be made a very pretty book. Take out the immorality, and it should be put into the hands of every young gentleman.'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Samuel Johnson Print: Book
' [letter from Boswell to Johnson] What do you say of Lord Chesterfield's "Memoirs and last Letters"?'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: James Boswell Print: Book
'Letters & Letter writing were then proceeded with.
Mrs Burrow read three letters of William Cowper characteristically interesting & amusing.
Mrs C. Elliott read in French two amusing letters one by Madame de Sevigny & one by Victor Hugo.
C. I. Evans read two [?] Ladies Battle & K.S. Evans two by R.L. Stevenson
F.E. Pollard read letters by G.B. Shaw & J.M. Barrie to Mrs Patrick Campbell on the death of her son killed in action.
Geo Burrow read several characteristic epistles of Charles Lamb & Howard R. Smith part of a letter by Lord Chesterfield to his son.
The Club were also much interested by seeing a number of Autograph letters from famous folk shown by various members of the Club.'
Century: 1900-1945 Reader/Listener/Group: Howard R. Smith Print: Book
[Elizabeth Carter to Elizabeth Vesey, 29 July 1774:]
'Lord Chesterfield's Letters are, I think, the most complete system of French morality that ever disgraced the English language. A system founded neither on principles of virtue, nor sentiments of heart, but upon those selfish motives, which aim at nothing higher than mere bienseance, and which never yet, through the general course of life, procured to any character, confidence, or esteem, or love [comments further].'
Century: 1700-1799 Reader/Listener/Group: Elizabeth Carter Print: Book