Chesterfield Manners
- by Julie Swannell

I was interested to read Mrs Eddy's description of her beloved brother Albert: "He possessed the manners of a Chesterfield.."  Now, I'm sure Mrs Eddy's listeners would have understood her reference, but to me in 2012, it doesn't ring a single bell (isn't a Chesterfield a certain type of upholstered couch with regularly spaced buttons?  Answer: Yes).  So, in these days when manners are rarely discussed, and often largely untaught, I have no idea what she could be talking about.  Forunately, with Google,

I can find out pretty easily and this is what I've found:

Chesterfield was a politician who became famous for Lord Chesterfield's Letters to his Son, a guide to manners and the means to prosperity.

Chesterfield, 4th Earl of (Philip Dormer Stanhope) 1694-1773; Eng. statesman & writer on manners

Among the quotations attributed to him are:

"The world is a country which nobody ever yet knew by description; one must travel through it one's self to be acquainted with it."

"An able man shows his spirit by gentle words and resolute actions."

"I recommend you to take care of the minutes, for the hours will take care of themselves."

"Firmness of purpose is one of the most necessary sinews of character, and one of the best instruments of success. Without it, genius wastes its efforts in a maze of inconsistencies."