Unit8

nullU8U8Additional lnformation for the Teacher’s ReferenceText The Ant of pleasing — A Letter to His SonWarm-up ActivitiesFurther ReadingWriting SkillsAdditional WorkWarm-up 1.1Warm-up 1.1Warm-up Activities1. Both Lord Chesterfield and Samuel Johnson are remembered from their time as men of letters. Read the Letter to Lord Chesterfield by Dr. Johnson and comment on their personalities respectively. Letter to Lord Chesterfield February 7th, 1755 MY LORD, I have been lately informed, by the proprietor of the World, that two papers, in which my Dictionary is recommended to the public, were written by your Lordship. To be so distinguished, Warm-up 1.2Warm-up 1.2is an honour, which, being very little accustomed to favours from the great, I know not well how to receive, or in what terms to acknowledge. When, upon some slight encouragement, I first visited your Lordship, I was overpowered, like the rest of mankind, by the enchantment of your address; and could not forbear to wish that I might boast myself Le vainqueur du vainqueur de la terre （the conqueror of the conquerors of the earth）; that I might obtain that regard for which I saw the world contending; but I found my attendance so little encouraged, that neither pride nor modesty would suffer me to continue it. When I had once addressed your Lordship in public, I had exhausted all the artWarm-up 1.3Warm-up 1.3of pleasing which a retired and uncourtly scholar can possess. I had done all that I could; and no man is well pleased to have his all neglected, be it ever so little. Seven years, my Lord, have now passed, since I waited in your outward rooms, or was repulsed from your door; during which time I have been pushing on my work through difficulties, of which it is useless to complain, and have brought it, at last, to the verge of publication, without one act of assistance, one word of encouragement, or one smile of favour. Such treatment I did not expect, for I never had a Patron before. The shepherd in Virgil grew at last acquainted with Love, and found him a native of the rocks.Warm-up 1.4Warm-up 1.4 Is not a Patron, my Lord, one who looks with unconcern on a man struggling for life in the water, and, when he has reached ground, encumbers him with help? The notice which you have been pleased to take of my labours, had it been early, had been kind; but it has been delayed till I am indifferent, and cannot enjoy it; till I am solitary, and cannot impart it; till I am known, and do not want it. I hope it is no very cynical asperity, not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received, or to be unwilling that the Public should consider me as owing that to a Patron, which Providence has enabled me to do for myself.Warm-up 1.5Warm-up 1.5 Having carried on my work thus far with so little obligation to any favourer of learning, I shall not be disappointed though I should conclude it, if less be possible, with less; for I have been long wakened from that dream of hope, in which I once boasted myself with so much exultation, my Lord. Your Lordship’s most humble, Most obedient servant, Samuel JohnsonWarm-up 2.1Warm-up 2.12. Chesterfield’s literary fame rests upon his Letters to His Son. The Letters are written in English, Latin and French, and contain a large amount of valuable information on history, geography and the morality of the age. Read The Art of Pleasing, and try to appreciate the style of Lord Chesterfield’s letter-writing. Find more materials on Lord Chesterfield, and give your understanding of his literary abilities.2. About the Art of Pleasing Admittedly, the art of pleasing is to give others pleasure, enjoyment or satisfaction, causing agreeable emotions among the people involved. The word “pleasing” has synonyms such as “gratifying”, “delightful” and “agreeable”. Like most artsWarm-up 2.2Warm-up 2.2that require long study and application, the most useful art of all, that of pleasing, requires the desire of a person. Some people think negatively of those who make a point of pleasing everybody, criticizing them for having no true heart for anyone but themselves, believing their desire to please others makes them fickle and insincere. Perhaps the essence of the art of pleasing is well illustrated by the famous English novelist Charles Reade (1814 - 1884), who stated that “If you wish to please people, you must begin by understanding them.” As another famous English critic and author William Hazlitt (1778 - 1830) puts it: “The art of pleasing consists in being pleased. To be amiable is to be satisfied with one’s self and other’.” The art of pleasing demands refined social skills yet increases our happiness in our social life on the other. Warm-up 3.1Warm-up 3.13. Lord Chesterfield began writing letters of advice to his illegitimate son Philip Stanhope, when the child was only five years old. When young Philip Stanhope was censured for bad writing, bad spelling and for inattention, Lord Chesterfield told him that nothing was too small for attentive consideration and that concentrated attention on one subject at a time was of paramount importance: “There is time enough for everything in the course of the day if you do one thing at once, but there is not time enough in the year if you will do two things at once.” This episode reveals another aspect of Lord Chesterfield’s personality. Give your views on it. Warm-up 3.2Warm-up 3.23. Quotations from Lord Chesterfield 1) Dispatch is the soul of business. 2) You foolish man, you don’t even know your own foolish business. 3) Whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing well. 4) The dews of the evening most carefully shun those tears of the sky for the loss of the sun. 5) If you are invited to drink at any man’s house more than you think is wholesome, you may say you wish you could, but so little makes you both drunk and sick; that you should only be bad company by doing so. 6) A gentleman is often seen, but very seldom heard to laugh.Warm-up 3.3Warm-up 3.37) 8) 9) 10)The vulgar only laugh, but never smile; whereas well-bred people often smile, but seldom laugh. Style is the dress of thoughts. I knew once a very covetous, sordid fellow who used to say, “Take care of the pence, for the pounds will take care of themselves.” Nothing is so secure as that money will not defeat it.Warm-up 4.1Warm-up 4.14. What, in your view, is the best way of pleasing? In this letter, Lord Chesterfield wittily and quite amusingly gave his son a lot of advice on the art of pleasing. What do you think of that advice? What ideas do you like and dislike? Discuss and illustrate your insights on the art of pleasing in our present-day social life.4.On the People-Pleasing Personality Characters of People-pleasing persons might include the following: Very organized Friendly, outgoing, gregarious Helpful, supportive Warm-up 4.2Warm-up 4.2 Courteous and considerate of others Always smiling Interested in others’ welfare Cooperative; real “team player” Generous with own time and energy Ready to volunteer “Company man”; very loyal Ready to take on any new challenge that comes along Works hard at pleasing others Talented, skillful, and creative A pleasure to spend time with Happy, joyful, full of fun Encouraging and reassuring Warm-up 4.3Warm-up 4.3Goes along with requests made by others People mixer Asset in any conversation “Together”, warm, and caring person Person sought out for friendship; popular socially Negative Consequences of People-Pleasing Behavior might list as follows: Low self-esteem Loss of personal identity Being taken advantage of Loss of personal time Ineffectiveness in managing work Warm-up 4.4Warm-up 4.4Inability to direct or supervise others Inability to achieve personal goals Inability to take a leadership role Poor problem-solving abilities Burn-out on the job or at home Chronic state of being unappreciated Immobilized by irrational beliefs Guilt over not accomplishing enough or not being pleasing enough to others Inability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships Loss of appreciation for attributes of self Inability to accept kindnesses from others Warm-up 4.5Warm-up 4.5Chronic state of self-deprecation Lack of trust in others’ sincerity Chronic state of insecurity in interacting with others Does not know how to relax Additional Information for the Teacher’s ReferenceAIFTTR1.1AIFTTR1.1 Philip Dormer Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, was an English statesman, orator and man of letters. As a suave and witty statesman, he is remembered mostly for letters to his son. He was educated at Cambridge and he succeeded his father, Lord Stanhope, to the earldom upon his father’s death in 1726, becoming Earl of Chesterfield. As an accomplished orator in the House of Lords, and because of his experience of the Continent, Chesterfield was sent as ambassador to the Hague to negotiate with the Dutch with a view to their joining in the war of the Austrian Succession. HisAdditional lnformation for the Teacher’s Reference1. Lord Chesterfield (1694 - 1773)AIFTTR1.2AIFTTR1.2mission was successful, and he was awarded the lord-lieutenancy of Ireland. It was on his brilliant administration of Ireland that his reputation as a statesman rested. Later he held the position of Secretary of State in 1746. Lord Chesterfield was also regarded as a clever, witty essayist and epigrammatist, most famous for his Letters to His Son and Letters to His Godson. He had no children by his wife, Melusina von Schulemberg, but Mademoiselle du Bouchet bore him a son, Philip Stanhope, to whom the famous letters were written. When his illegitimate son reached the age of five, Lord Chesterfield began to write tirelessly and devotedly to him about his manners, habits and conduct, all of which gives vivid and often amusing insights into the morality of the age. However, AIFTTR1.3AIFTTR1.3Philip pre-deceased his father in 1768, dying at the age of thirty-six, a loss that was a source of an overwhelming grief to Lord Chesterfield.AIFTTR2.1AIFTTR2.12. Lord Chesterfield’s Famous Dispute with Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson Byname Dr. Johnson, is regarded as one of the most outstanding figures of 18th-century English poets, essayists and critics. In 1747, he addressed to Lord Chesterfield, who was then Secretary of State, his plan for a Dictionary of the English Language, which was acknowledged by a subscription of 10 pounds. Lord Chesterfield apparently took no further interest in the enterprise, and refused to support Johnson while he was at work on his dictionary. Apparently, Johnson was even kept waiting in Chesterfield’s anteroom when he called. Samuel Johnson returned home and worked independently for seven years with the project. When theAIFTTR2.2AIFTTR2.2Dictionary was about to appear, Lord Chesterfield wrote two essays in The World in praise of it. In turn, Samuel Johnson responded to the Earl with his famous letter in defense of men of letters, and thus occurred the famous dispute between Lord Chesterfield and Samuel Johnson over the dedication to the English Dictionary in 1755. Later Johnson wrote： “This man I thought had been a Lord among wits; but I find, he is only a wit among Lords.” Interestingly, perhaps in reaction to his disillusionment with Lord Chesterfield, a professed patron of literature, Johnson defines a patron in his Dictionary as “one who countenances, supports or protects. Commonly a wretch who supports with insolence, and is paid with flattery.”AIFTTR3.1AIFTTR3.13. Sir Robert Walpole (1676 - 1745) Robert Walpole, also called Sir Robert Walpole, was a famous British statesman (in power 1721 - 1742), generally regarded as the first British Prime Minister. It is said that he deliberately cultivated a frank, hearty manner, but his political subtlety has scarcely been equaled. The influence of Walpole’s long ministry on the structure of 18th-century politics was profound. Although Walpole rejected the title of prime minister, which he regarded as a term of abuse, his control of the treasury, his management of the House of Commons, and the confidence that he enjoyed of the two sovereigns whom he served demonstrates the kindAIFTTR3.2AIFTTR3.2of leadership that was required to give stability and order to 18th-century politics. He used his power to maintain the supremacy of the Whig Party while the Tory Party faded into insignificance; to be a Whig even became a necessity for the politically ambitious.AIFTTR4AIFTTR44. Lord Chesterfield’s Relationship with Sir Robert Walpole Lord Chesterfield, as an accomplished orator in the House of Lords, first became a friend of Walpole. But Walpole’s Excise Bill, the great premier’s favorite measure, was vehemently opposed by him in the Lords. Walpole bent before the storm and abandoned the measure; but Chesterfield was summarily dismissed from his stewardship. For the next two years, Lord Chesterfield tried to bring about Walpole’s downfall and he led the opposition in the Upper House, leaving no stone unturned to affect Walpole’s downfall. In 1741, Lord Chesterfield signed the protest for Walpole’s dismissal and went abroad on account of his health.Text Text The Art of Pleasing — A Letter to His SonNotesIntroduction to the Author and the ArticlePhrases and ExpressionsExercisesMain Idea of the Text Main Idea of the Text 1Main Idea of the Text 1Main Idea of the Text In the text, Lord Chesterfield preaches to his illegitimate son Philip on the art of pleasing, telling him how to ingratiate oneself into the affections of others. This text is taken from Lord Chesterfield’s most famous Letters to His Son (1747), a monograph outlining the ideal conduct of an 18th-century gentleman. As a politician and statesman, Chesterfield’s fame rests on his short but brilliant administration of Ireland at that time. And as an author, the letter-writing fully displays his talents as a clever essayist and epigrammatist. Like most of his letters, The Art of Pleasing is also brilliantly written, full of exquisite observation, keen wit and elegant wisdom. In the letter, Lord Chesterfield instructs his son upon a series of “do’s” and Main Idea of the Text 2Main Idea of the Text 2“don’ts”, which, he claims, have been acquired by personal experience over the 53 years of his own life. The art of pleasing, in the Lord’s opinion, is a gradual process of knowing and understanding more about others. In his advice to his son about proper behavior toward others, Lord Chesterfield very interestingly puts forward the idea of “doing justice to one’s weakness for the sake of pleasing,” which is certainly a practice very different from our culture. He further points out that flattery in the art of pleasing is not unconditional and warns the young against the vice of overdoing flattery. Even today, over two hundred years later, it is still a very delightful and enlightening experience to read this letter, which gives insight into this social aspect life even in the modern world.Introduction to the Author and the articleIntroduction to the Author and the article Lord Chesterfield (Philip Dormer Stanhope, Fourth Earl of Chesterfield, 1694 - 1773) was an English statesman, diplomat, wit, and orator. He is chiefly remembered for his letters to his illegitimate son, Philip Stanhope, which give a vivid and often amusing insight into the morality of the age. He is also remembered in connection with Johnson’s Dictionary. In the following letter, Lord Chesterfield writes a lecture to his son about how to ingratiate oneself into the affections of others. It is a series of “do’s” and “don’ts” which, the Lord claims, have been acquired through personal experience over the 53 years of his own life.Introduction to the Author and the ArticlePart2_T1Part2_T1Dear Boy: The art of pleasing is a very necessary one to possess, but a very difficult one to acquire. It can hardly be reduced to rules; and your own good sense and observation will teach you more of it than I can. “Do as you would be done by,” is the surest method that I know of pleasing. Observe carefully what pleases you in others, and probably the same things in you will please others. Lord Chesterfield London, October 16, 1747The Art of Pleasing — A Letter to His SonTextPart2_T2Part2_T2 If you are pleased with the complaisance and attention of others to your humors, your tastes, or your weaknesses, depend upon it, the same complaisance and attention on your part to theirs will equally please them. Take the tone of the company that you are in, and do not pretend to give it; be serious, gay, or even trifling, as you find the present humor of the company; this is an attention due from every individual to the majority. Do not tell stories in company; there is nothing more tedious and disagreeable; if by chance you know a very short story, and exceedingly applicable to the present subject of conversation, tell it in as few words as possible; and even then, throw out that you do not love to tell stories, but that the shortness of it tempted you.Part2_T3Part2_T3Of all things banish the egotism out of your conversation, and never think of entertaining people with your own personal concerns or private affairs; though they are interesting to you, they are tedious and impertinent to everybody else; besides that, one cannot keep one’s own private affairs too secret. Whatever you think your own excellencies may be, do not affectedly display them in company; nor labor, as many people do, to give that turn to the conversation, which may supply you with an opportunity of exhibiting them. If they are real, they will infallibly be discovered, without your pointing them out yourself, and with much more advantage. Never maintain an argument with heat and clamor, though you think or know yourself to be in the right; but give your opinion modestly and coolly, which isPart2_T4Part2_T4the only way to convince; and, if that does not do, try to change the conversation, by saying, with good-humor, “We shall hardly convince one another; nor is it necessary that we should, so let us talk of something else.” Remember that there is a local propriety to be observed in all companies; and that what is extremely proper in one company may be, and often is, highly improper in another. The jokes, the bon-mots, the little adventures, which may do very well in one company, will seem flat and tedious, when related in another. The particular characters, the habits, the cant of one company may give merit to a word, or a gesture, which would have none at all if divested of those accidental circumstances. Here people very commonly err; and fond ofPart2_T5Part2_T5something that has entertained them in one company, and in certain circumstances, repeat it with emphasis in another, where it is either insipid, or, it may be, offensive, by being ill-timed or misplaced. Nay, they often do it with this silly preamble: “I will tell you an excellent thing,” or, “I will tell you the best thing in the world.” This raises expectations, which, when absolutely disappointed, make the relator of this excellent thing look, very deservedly, like a fool. If you would particularly gain the affection and friendship of particular people, whether men or women, endeavor to find out their predominant excellency, if they have one, and their prevailing weakness, which everybody has; and do justice to thePart2_T6Part2_T6one, and something more than justice to the other. Men have various objects in which they may excel, or at least would be thought to excel; and, though they love to hear justice done to them, where they know that they excel, yet they are most and best flattered upon those points where they wish to excel, and yet are doubtful whether they do or not. As for example: Cardinal Richelieu, who was undoubtedly the abl