Page:Imperial Dictionary of Universal Biography Volume 1.pdf/1075

CHE  than Englishmen generally are able to do, and frequently received in Paris the compliment—"Monsieur, vous êtes tout comme nous." Lord Chesterfield returned to England upon the accession of George I., and entered the house of commons, where his very characteristic fear of being ridiculed kept him from taking any frequent part in the debates, although his talents soon made a favourable impression. Upon the death of his father in 1726, he took his place in the house of lords, which afforded a more favourable theatre for displaying the polished subtilty of his cultured style both of thought and speech. In 1728 he was appointed ambassador to Holland, and for his conduct on this mission, received from George II., who had come to the throne in 1727, the order of the garter, and an appointment in the royal household. He was recalled from the Hague in 1732, but shortly returned to fill the same office as before. Subsequently he became viceroy of Ireland; and in 1748 was advanced to the dignity of secretary of state and member of the cabinet. Although the fall of Walpole in 1742, whom Chesterfield had steadily opposed for ten years, apparently left for him an open path to a position of the highest authority, yet he never secured any very considerable political power. He injured his prospects of advancement early in his career, by a mistake of a character, not uncommon among adepts in that peculiar knowledge of the world upon which he prided himself, and overreached himself by basing his calculations too exclusively upon the weakness of human nature. In order to secure the favour of George II. before his accession to the throne, Chesterfield paid court to him through his mistress; and this was neither forgotten nor forgiven by George's wife, Caroline of Anspach, when queen of England. In addition to the adverse influence thus brought to bear upon his career, Chesterfield's shrewd insight into the failings of men was not united with an equal amount of practical managing skill. He was rather the critical observer, who can detect mistakes made by players at chess, when looking on unbiassed by the eager anxiety of the game, than himself the master of the board. In 1744, when in his fiftieth year, Chesterfield's health began to fail, and his political ambition not having been sufficiently gratified to encourage him in running any risks, or putting himself to much anxiety on its behalf, he retired from public life. The great interest of his life was now concentrated upon the education of his son. Philip Stanhope, an illegitimate child, his mother being madame de Bouchet, a French lady whom Lord Chesterfield had met in Holland, deeply absorbed both his affection and his ambition. He would train up the child systematically and firmly, and create a model statesman, who should be the most educated, the most polished, and the most powerful courtier in Europe. Chesterfield accordingly commenced a confidential correspondence with the young lad in his earliest years, and continued it until his manhood. Dr. Johnson's often-quoted criticism upon these letters, that they teach "the morals of a courtesan and the manners of a dancing-master," fails in justice. Chesterfield urges upon his son that his first duty is towards God; his second to obtain knowledge; and his third to be well-bred; and very evidently does not intend to spare any weakness, or to corrupt any principle, but has a certain ideal of character into the likeness of which he is striving to fashion his child's mind and conduct. He believed himself a severe rather than an over-indulgent monitor. "Be persuaded," he writes, "that I shall love you extremely while you deserve it, but not one moment longer." With respect to mental culture, the discipline directed is firm and wise, and embraces a range of subjects not usual among the young men of the day. Approfondissez, he urges again and again, go to the bottom of things; anything half done and half known, is, in my mind, neither known nor done at all. The precepts enjoined concerning good manners, often coincide with the sweet graces of a true christian gentleness. The well-bred man is described as one who remembers that honest errors are to be pitied and not ridiculed; who can converse with his inferiors without insolence, and be at perfect ease with kings; who is indulgent towards other people's innocent though ridiculous vanities; who is careful never to make another fear a mortifying inferiority in knowledge, rank, and fortune, and is never indifferent about pleasing. While, however, there are principles inculcated which would carry a man to the height of christian virtue—as when it is declared that he would much rather die than do a base or criminal action—other principles are also urged which would lead to voluptuousness and hypocrisy. The morality of Cato is forgotten in that of Alcibiades; and the didactic dignity of a Nestor advising a Telemachus is mingled with the libertinism of a refined count de Grammont. Lord Chesterfield felt no passion to reform the world, he would simply master it and enjoy it; hence he directs his son to take kings and kingdoms as he finds them, and never to deprive himself of anything he wanted to do or see, by refusing to comply with an established custom; and lays down the principle that, while every one should think as he pleases, "or rather as he can," no one should communicate ideas which might trouble the peace of society. "Leave people tranquilly to enjoy," he writes, "their errors of taste as of religion." The son, upon whose education Chesterfield lavished such anxious care, proved a man of sense and learning, rather deficient than otherwise in the graces upon which such stress had been laid, and became envoy at the court of Madrid, but died before his father, when in his twenty-sixth year. Dr. Johnson dedicated to Chesterfield the plan of his dictionary, declaring himself overpowered by the enchantment of his address; but conceiving that he was unduly neglected, indignantly rejected the praise Chesterfield lavished on it upon its publication, and took his revenge by substituting the word patron for garret in his famous couplet—

Dr. Johnson's testimony to the learning and grace of Chesterfield is, however, striking—"His manner was exquisitely elegant, and he had more knowledge than I expected." During his latter days Chesterfield was afflicted with deafness, and lived entirely apart from the world, solacing himself with literature and gardening. He cultivated fine melons and peaches, and awaited death without desiring or fearing its approach. Lord Chesterfield died March 24, 1773. The best edition of his works is in 3 vols., 4to, London, 1777.—L. L. P.  CHETHAM,, founder of the college and library at Manchester which bears his name, was born in 1580, and died in 1653. He was the third son of Henry Chetham of Cramprall, a Lancashire proprietor. Of his personal history little is known, except that, having engaged in trade, he realized a large fortune, and that he was high sheriff of the county of Lancaster in 1635. He died unmarried, and made provision in his will for the erection of the college and library with which his name is still associated. The design of the former was to maintain and educate forty poor boys. Since 1780, however, this number has been doubled. Chetham gave £1000 to found the library, and left to it besides what remained of his estate after endowing the school and providing for other charities and bequests. It is one of the few really free libraries in the kingdom, and contains, besides its thousands of valuable books, a great number of rare manuscripts.—R. M., A.  CHETWOOD,, D.D., a learned divine of the church of England, born in 1652; died in 1720. He contributed a "Life of Lycurgus" to the translation of Plutarch's Lives published in 1683. The "Life of Virgil," and the preface to the Pastorals prefixed to Dryden's Virgil, were from the pen of this ingenious writer. He rose to be dean of Gloucester.  CHETWOOD,, author of a "General History of the Stage," 1749; died in 1766. He followed for some time the calling of a bookseller in Covent Garden, and in later life was prompter at Drury Lane theatre.—J. S., G.  CHETWYND,, a learned and eloquent English writer, born in 1623; died in 1692. He was vicar of Temple in Bristol, and prebendary of the cathedral. His now scarce and curious work, "Anthologia Historica," was published in 1674, and reprinted in 1691, with the title of "Collections, Historical, Political, Theological," &c.—J. S., G.  CHEVALIER,, a French philologist, born in 1507; died in 1572. Chevalier acceded to the reformed faith, and became professor of Hebrew at Geneva. He afterwards went to Caen, where, on account of persecution, he passed into England. It is said that he taught Queen Elizabeth French. He was also appointed to teach Hebrew at Cambridge, where he remained till his return to Caen.—R. M., A.  CHEVALIER,, treasurer of France, was born about 1410, and died in 1474. He began his career in the service of the Constable Artus de Richemont; but soon passed into that of the king, Charles VII., who made him treasurer of France in 1452. He was attached to the embassy sent to England in 1445 to negotiate a peace; was appointed one of her executors 