Letters to His Son, 1759-65

Book excerpt: 'Letters to His Son' is a publication of letters written by Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, a British statesman, diplomat, and man of letters, and an acclaimed wit of his time. Eugenia Stanhope, the widow of Chesterfield's illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope, was the author of the book, which comprises a thirty-year correspondence in more than 400 letters. Begun in 1737 and continued until the death of his son in 1768, Chesterfield wrote mostly instructive communications about geography, history, and classical literature, with later letters focusing on politics and diplomacy. The letters themselves were written in French, English and Latin to refine his son's grasp of the languages.