CHESTERFIELD, Philip Dormer STANHOPE, 4th Earl of (1694-1773). Autograph letter to [his son Philip] ('Dear Boy'), Bath, 8 August 1743, expressing his concern at the news that his son was ill after eating 'an immense quantity of bad fruit', and musing on the fact that fruit was the only 'irregularity' the boy's age exposed him to, its consequences in no way comparing with the consequences attending 'the irregularity of manhood' upon which Chesterfield digresses, 'Wine and Women are incurable distempers, the Gout, the Stone, the Pox, are the Necessary consequences of debauchery. And can rationall creature then, willfully bring such misfortunes upon themselves? I am sure you never will', referring to arrangements he was making with Michael Maittaire for Greek lessons, and asking the boy to consider two contrary themes for their next discussion, the implication in a passage of Ovid that there is some degree of merit in attempting great things, even though one fails, and the other, recommending prudence in all we undertake, and to attempt nothing that we cannot be sure of accomplishing, 2 pages, 4to, one editorial annotation, integral address leaf signed 'To M.. Stanhope at M. Morel's boarding house in Cowley Street Westminster London', franked (small tears in folds repaired, address leaf restored); together with a manuscript entitled 'Fragment of Character by Philip late Earl of Chesterfield', 3 pages, 4to. This letter is included as Letter XCIX in the celebrated Letters written by Lord Chesterfield to his illegitimate son by Mademoiselle du Bouchet, Philip Stanhope. Philip Stanhope died in 1768 after holding various minor diplomatic posts secured for him by his father. Lord Chesterfield then discovered to his mortification that Philip had been married for some time and had two sons. After Lord Chesterfield's death in 1773, Philip's widow, Eugenia, lost little time in preparing the letters for publication. She sold them for ¨1,500 to Dodsley, and the first edition is dated 1774. (2)