Home / Quotes / Quote by Lord Chesterfield

Quote by Lord Chesterfield

“When griefs are genuine, I find, there is nothing more vacuous, more burdensome, or even more impertinent, than letters of consolation.”

Quote by Lord Chesterfield

Author

Lord Chesterfield

British statesman known for his epistolary works, which had a profound impact on 18th-century British society. more

You May Also Like

“The great, the rich, the powerful, too often bestow their favours upon their inferiors in the manner they bestow their scraps upontheir dogs, so as neither to oblige man nor dogs. It is no wonder if favours, benefits, and even charities thus bestowed ungraciously, should be as coldly and faintly acknowledged.”

Ifs Men Should Powerful Wonder Rich Dog He Man Gratitude Benefits Charity Inferiors Favour Scrap

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Let us not only scatter benefits, but even strew flowers for our fellow-travellers, in the rugged ways of this wretched world.”

World Way Flower Benefits Fellows Charity Generosity Wretched Traveller Rugged

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Give nobly to indigent merit, and do not refuse your charity even to those who have not merit but their misery.”

Giving Misery Charity Refuse Merit

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“If a man, notoriously and designedly, insults and affronts you, knock him down; but if he only injures you, your best revenge is to be extremely civil to him in your outward behaviour, though at the same time you counterwork him, and return him the compliment, perhaps with interest.”

Ifs Men Interest Return Revenge Insult Compliment Behaviour Best Revenge

Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

“In the mass of mankind, I fear, there is too great a majority of fools and knaves; who, singly from their number, must to a certain degree be respected, though they are by no means respectable.”

Mean Certain Numbers Mankind Fool Degrees Mass Respect Majority Respectable Respectability Knaves

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“A man of sense soon discovers, because he carefully observes, where and how long he is welcome; and takes care to leave the company at least as soon as he is wished out of it. Fools never perceive whether they are ill timed or ill placed.”

Men Long Care Company Fool Ill Take Care Welcome Perceive

Book:Lord Chesterfield's Letters

Source: Lord Chesterfield's Letters

“Violent measures are always dangerous, but, when necessary, may then be looked on as wise. They have, however, the advantage of never being matter of indifference; and, when well concerted, must be decisive.”

Wells May Matter Wise Violence Dangerous Danger Advantage Violent Indifference

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“The greatest dangers have their allurements, if the want of success is likely to be attended with a degree of glory. Middling dangers are horrid, when the loss of reputation is the inevitable consequence of ill success.”

Ifs Want Success Loss Danger Degrees Glory Consequence Ill Reputation Inevitable

Book:The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

Source: The Works of Lord Chesterfield: Including His Letters to His Son, Etc : to which is Prefixed, an Original Life of the Author

“Keep carefully not of all scrapes and quarrels. They lower a character extremely; and are particularly dangerous in France, wherea man is dishonoured by not resenting an affront, and utterly ruined by resenting it.”

Men Character Dangerous Danger France Ruined Quarrels Affront

Author:Lord Chesterfield

“Men are apt to mistake, or at least to seem to mistake, their own talents, in hopes, perhaps, of misleading others to allow them that which they are conscious they do not possess. Thus lord Hardwicke valued himself more upon being a great minister of state, which he certainly was not, than upon being a great magistrate, which he certainly was.”

Men States Seems Mistake Lord Talent Pride Conscious Reputation Ministers Mislead Magistrates

Author:Lord Chesterfield