Chesterfield, Earl of (1694-1773), was an English aristocrat, wit, and political figure. He became known for his worldly, sensible letters to his son.
Chesterfield was born Philip Dormer Stanhope on Sept. 22, 1694, in London. He became fourth Earl of Chesterfield in 1726. About 1732, he fathered an illegitimate son, Philip. When the boy was 5 years old, Chesterfield began writing him letters. The correspondence continued for 30 years. The more than 400 letters that survive were intended to educate Philip in the art of being a gentleman—to give him manners, a classical education, and a realistic view of humanity. With sophistication, frankness, and affection, Chesterfield described men as selfish and women as frail creatures to be controlled.
The earl wanted his son to become a diplomat. But Philip, who turned out to be shy and socially crude, was a failure as a diplomat. He married secretly and died young, and his widow sold the earl’s letters. Their publication in 1774, soon after the earl’s death on March 24, 1773, made Chesterfield famous.
