Letters Written by the Late Right Honourable Philip Dormer Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, to his Son, Philip Stanhope

Chesterfield

A series of 448 didactic letters by Philip Dormer Stanhope, Lord Chesterfield, to his illegitimate son, Philip. They had not been intended for publication, but Philip’s widow published them after the earl’s death. Their content, a series of 448 didactic letters to his illegitimate son, Philip, who had died in 1768. They had not been intended for publication, but Philip’s widow published them after the earl’s death. Their content, which amounted to a manifesto for elite, aristocratic masculinity, advocated classical learning, foreign languages, and fine letter style. Chesterfield's posthumous reputation as decadent and religiously unorthodox led to the Letters being labelled immoral by several readers, including Samuel Johnson and Elizabeth Montagu.

Editions and Volumes cited in the edition

1 ed., 1 vol., London: J. Dodsley 1774
Digital Facsimile: [Subscription: JISC Historical Texts]
2 ed., 2 vol., London: J. Dodsley 1774
Digital Facsimile: [Subscription: JISC Historical Texts]
1 vol., Oxford: Clarendon Press 1890
Digital Facsimile: [Open: Hathi Trust Digital Library]

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