A year in Lausanne,[368] for the rudiments of languages; a year
in Leipsic, for a thorough grounding in history and jurisprudence; a
year spent in visits to such cities as Berlin, Dresden, and Vienna, for
a view of the different Courts; one in Italy, to get rid of the manners
of Germany; and one in Paris, to give him the final polish, the supreme
touch, of gentlemanly complaisance, politeness, and ease.
We may pass over the years in Germany, as the earl did, without much
comment. Young Stanhope was quite satisfactory in the more solid parts
of learning, and it was not until he reached Italy, there to begin his
courtly training, that Chesterfield's interest was fully aroused.
"The manners of Leipsig must be shook off," he says emphatically. "No
scramblings at your meals as at a German ordinary: no awkward overturns
of glasses, plates, and salt-cellers."[369]
He is to mind the decent mirth of the courtiers - their discreet
frankness, their natural, careless, but genteel air; in short, to
acquire the Graces. Chesterfield sent letters of introduction to the
best company in Venice, forwarded his own diamond shoe buckles for his
son, and began to pour forth advice on the possible social problems
confronting a young Englishman in Rome. With a contemptuous tolerance
for Papists, Protestants, and all religious quarrels as obstructions to
the art of pleasing, he bade Stanhope be civil to the Pope, and to kneel
down while the Host was being carried through the streets. His tutor,
though, had better not. With wonderful artistic insight, the earl
perceives that the fitting attitude for Mr Harte is simple, ungracious
honesty.[370]
On the subject of the Pretender, then resident in Rome, his advice is;
never meet a Stuart at all if you can help it; but if you must, feign
ignorance of him and his grievances. If he begins to talk politics,
disavow any knowledge of events in England, and escape as soon as you
can.[371]
Long before his son's year in Italy was completed, Chesterfield began
preparing him for Paris. For the first six months Stanhope was to live
in an academy with young Frenchmen of fashion; after that, to have
lodgings of his own. The mornings were to belong to study, or serious
conversation with men of learning or figure; the afternoons, to
exercise; the evenings to be free for balls, the opera, or play. These
are the pleasures of a gentleman, for which his father is willing to pay
generously. But he will not, he points out frequently, subscribe to the
extravagance of a rake. The eighteen-year-old Stanhope is to have his
coach, his two valets and a footman, the very best French clothes - in
fact, everything that is sensible. But he shall not be allowed money for
dozens of cane-heads, or fancy snuff-boxes, or excessive gaming, or the
support of opera-singers. One handsome snuff-box, one handsome sword,
and gaming only when the presence of the ladies keeps down high stakes;
but no tavern-suppers - no low company which costs so much more than
dissipations among one's equals. There is no need for a young man of any
address to make love to his laundress,[372] as long as ladies of his own
class stoop to folly.
Above all, Stanhope is not to associate with his own countrymen in
Paris. On them Chesterfield is never tired of pouring the vials of
scorn. He began while Stanhope was at Leipsic to point out the
deficiences of English boys:
"They are commonly twenty years old before they have spoken to anybody
above their schoolmaster, and the Fellows of their college. If they
happen to have learning, it is only Greek and Latin; but not one word of
modern history, or modern languages. Thus prepared, they go abroad as
they call it; but in truth, they stay at home all that while; for being
very awkward, confoundedly ashamed, and not speaking the languages, they
go into no foreign company, at least none good, but dine and sup with
one another only, at the tavern.[373]...
"The life of les Milords Anglais is regularly, or if you will,
irregularly, this. As soon as they rise, which is very late, they
breakfast together to the utter loss of two good morning hours. Then
they go by coachfuls to the Palais, the Invalides, and Notre-Dame; from
thence to the English coffee-house where they make up their tavern party
for dinner. From dinner, where they drink quick, they adjourn in
clusters to the play, where they crowd up the stage, drest up in very
fine clothes, very ill made by a Scotch or Irish tailor. From the play
to the tavern again, where they get very drunk, and where they either
quarrel among themselves, or sally forth, commit some riot in the
streets, and are taken up by the watch."[374]
To avoid these monsters, and to cultivate the best French society, was
what a wise young man must do in Paris. He must establish an intimacy
with the best French families. If he became fashionable among the
French, he would be fashionable in London.
Chesterfield considered it best to show no erudition at Paris before the
rather illiterate society there. As the young men were all bred for and
put into the army at the age of twelve or thirteen, only the women had
any knowledge of letters. Stanhope would find at the academy a number of
young fellows ignorant of books, and at that age hasty and petulant, so
that the avoidance of quarrels must be a young Englishman's great care.
He will be as lively as these French boys, but a little wiser; he will
not reproach them with their ignorance, nor allow their idlenesses to
break in on the hours he has laid aside for study.
Such was the plan of a Grand Tour laid down by one of the first
gentlemen of Europe.
![English Travellers Of The Renaissance By Clare Howard
- And every man disagreeable.[367]
The five years of young Stanhope's travel were carefully distributed as
follows: a year in - Page 35](../images/travel.jpg)
