“No Man is Allowed to Spell Ill”: Modern Communication Advice from an Eighteenth Century Expert

Abstract

Lord Chesterfield wrote hundreds of letters to his natural son during the young man's thirty-six years of life (1732–1768) in his earnest attempts to instill in the lad the qualities of a gentleman. He wrote on wide-ranging subjects, including oral and written communication: writing well and speaking effectively. His advice is valid and current even today, almost 250 years after he wrote it.