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Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son, Publ. by E. Stanhope
Letters Written by the Earl of Chesterfield to His Son Publ by E Stanhope Author:Philip Dormer Stanhope General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1800 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: LORD CHESTERFIELD'S V ' LETTERS. LETTER CCXXI. London, March apth, O. 5. 1750. My Dear Friend, I OU are now, I fuppofe, at Naples, in a new fcene of Virtb) examining all the curiofities of Plercula- neum, watching the eruptions of Mount Vefuvius, and furveying the magnificent churches and public buildings by which Naples is diftinguifhed. You have a Court there into the bargain, which, I hope, you frequent and attend to. Polite manners, a ver- fatility of mind, a complaifance even to enemies, and the volto fciolfo, with the penfteri ftretti, are only to be learned at Courts; and muft be well learned by whoever would either fhine or tlirive in them. Though they do not change the nature, they fmooth and foften the manners of mankind. Vigilance, dexterity, and flexibility, fupply the place of na- Vol. III. B tural tural force; and it is the ableft mind, not thtf ftrongeft body, that prevails there. Monfieur and Madame Fogliani will, I am fure, fliow you all the politenefs of Courts; for I know no better bred people than they are. Domefticate yourfelf there while you ftay at Naples, and lay afide the Englifh coldnefs and formality. You have alfo a letter to Comte Mahony, whofe houfe I hope you frequent, as it is the refort of the beft company. His lifter, Madame Bulkeley, is now here ; and, had I known of your going io foon to Naples, I would have got you, ex abundanti, a letter from her to her brother. The converfation of the moderns in the evening is full as neceflary for you, as that of the antients in the morning. You would do well, while you are at Naples, to read fome very fhort ...« less