Lord Chesterfield
Lord Chesterfield
Philip Dormer Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield KG PCwas a British statesman, and a man of letters, and wit. He was born in London to Philip Stanhope, 3rd Earl of Chesterfield, and Lady Elizabeth Savile, and known as Lord Stanhope until the death of his father, in 1726. Educated at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, he subsequently embarked on the Grand Tour of the Continent, to complete his education as a nobleman, by exposure to the cultural legacies of Classical antiquity and...
advice generally man praise wants
When a man wants your advice he generally wants your praise
blind both ditch fall leading
The young leading the young, is like the blind leading the blind; ""they will both fall into the ditch
coward fine good hero light man morning proved rainy restless
A light supper, a good night's sleep, and a fine morning have often made a hero of the same man who, by indigestion, a restless night, and a rainy morning would have proved a coward
forgiven forgiveness injury insult sooner
An injury is much sooner forgiven than an insult
cannot great mind receive weak
A weak mind is like a microscope, which magnifies trifling things but cannot receive great ones
literature moderns speak
Speak of the moderns without contempt, and of the ancients without idolatry.
advice seldom
Advice is seldom welcome; and those who want it the most always want it the least.
acquired knowledge
Knowledge of the world is only to be acquired in the world, and not in a closet.
good health humor poison sadness
Good humor is the health of the soul, sadness its poison
confused facts heap history
History is only a confused heap of facts
company digest evenings learning swallow
Swallow all your learning in the morning, but digest it in company in the evenings
activity constant strong
A constant smirk upon the face, and a whiffing activity of the body, are strong indications of futility.
ignorance understanding weak
Nothing convinces persons of a weak understanding so effectually, as what they do not comprehend.
writing may speech
Never write down your speeches beforehand; if you do, you may perhaps be a good declaimer, but will never be a debater.