Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman, 1752 by Earl of Philip Dormer Stanhope Chesterfield
page 46 of 118 (38%)
page 46 of 118 (38%)
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their remembrance. The reputation which you leave at one place, where you
have been, will circulate, and you will meet with it at twenty places where you are to go. That is a labor never quite lost. This letter will show you, that the accident which happened to me yesterday, and of which Mr. Grevenkop gives you account, hath had no bad consequences. My escape was a great one. LETTER CLXVI LONDON, May 11, O. S. 1752. DEAR FRIEND: I break my word by writing this letter; but I break it on the allowable side, by doing more than I promised. I have pleasure in writing to you; and you may possibly have some profit in reading what I write; either of the motives were sufficient for me, both for you I cannot withstand. By your last I calculate that you will leave Paris upon this day se'nnight; upon that supposition, this letter may still find you there. Colonel Perry arrived here two or three days ago, and sent me a book from you; Cassandra abridged. I am sure it cannot be too much abridged. The spirit of that most voluminous work, fairly extracted, may be contained in the smallest duodecimo; and it is most astonishing, that there ever could have been people idle enough to write or read such endless heaps of the same stuff. It was, however, the occupation of thousands in the last century, and is still the private, though disavowed, amusement of young |
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