PHILIP DORMER, EARL OF CHESTERFIELD, was born in 1695, and educated in Trinity-hall, Cambridge; which place he left in 1714, when, by his own account, he was an absolute pedant. In this character he went abroad, where a familiarity with good company soon convinced him he was totally mistaken in almost all his notions; and an attentive study of the air, manner, and address of people of fashion, soon polished a man whose predominant desire was to please; and who, as it afterwards appeared, valued exterior accomplish- ments beyond any other human acquirement. While Lord Stanhope, he got an early seat in parliament; and in 1722, succeeded to his father's estate and titles. In 1728, and in 1745, he was appointed ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to Holland: which high character he supported with the greatest dignity; serving his own country, and gaining the esteem of the States-general. Upon his return from Holland, he was sent lord-lieutenant of Ireland; and during his administration there, gave general satisfaction to all parties. He left Dublin in 1746, and in October succeeded the earl of Harrington as secretary of state, in which post he officiated until February 6th 1748. Being seized with a deafness in 1752 that incapacitated him for the pleasures of society, he from that time led a private and retired life, amusing himself with books and his pen; in particular, he engaged largely as a volunteer in a periodical miscellaneous paper called The World, in which his contributions have a distinguished degree of excellence. He died in 1773, leaving a character for wit and abilities that had few equals. He distinguished himself by his eloquence in parliament on many important occasions; of which we have a characteristic instance, of his own relating. He was an active promoter of the bill for altering the Rye; on which occasion, as he himself writes in one of his letters to his son, he made so eloquent a speech in the house, that every one was pleased, and said he had made the whole very clear to them; "when (says he), God knows, I had not even attempted it. I could just as soon have talked Celtic or Sclavonian to them, as astronomy; and they would have understood me full as well." Lord Macclesfield, one of the greatest mathematicians in Europe, and who had a principal hand in framing the bill, spoke afterwards, with all the earnestness that a thorough knowledge of the subject could dictate; but not having a flow of words equal to Lord Chesterfield, the latter gained the applause from the former, to the equal credit of the speaker and the auditors. The high character Lord Chesterfield supported during life, received no small injury soon after his death, from a fuller display of it by his own hand. He left no issue by his lady, but had a natural son, Philip Stanhope, Esq. whose education was for many years a close object of his attention, and who was afterward envoy extraordinary at the court of Dresden, but died before him. When Lord Chesterfield died, Mr Stanhope's widow published a course of letters, written by the father to the son, filled with instructions suitable to the different gradations of the young man's life to whom they were addressed. These letters contain many fine observations on mankind, and rules of conduct: but it is observable that he lays a greater stress on exterior accomplishments and address, than on intellectual qualifications and sincerity; and allows greater latitude to fashionable pleasures than good morals will justify, especially in paternal instructions. Hence it is that a celebrated writer*, and of manners somewhat different from those of the politic earl of Chesterfield, is said to have observed of these letters, that "they inculcate only the morals of a whore, with the manners of a dancing-master."

Dr George, an eminent divine, was born at Hertford in Derbyshire, in the year 1660. His father was rector of that place, vicar of St Margaret's church in Leicester, and chaplain to the earls of Chesterfield and Clare. His grandfather, Dr George Stanhope, was chaplain to James I. and Charles I.; had the chancellorship of York, where he was also a canon-retentary, held a prebend, and was rector of Weldrake in that county. He was for his loyalty driven from his home with eleven children; and died in 1644. Our author was sent to school, first at Uppingham in Rutland, then at Leicester; afterwards removed to Eaton; and thence chosen to King's college in Cambridge, in the place of W. Cheever. He took the degree of B. A. in 1681; M. A. 1685; was elected one of the syndics for the university of Cambridge, in the business of Alban Francis, 1687; minister of Quoi near Cambridge, and vice-proctor, 1688; was that year preferred to the rectory of Tring in Hertfordshire, which after some time he quitted. He was in 1689 presented to the vicarage of Lewisham in Kent by Lord Dartmouth, to whom he had been chaplain, and tutor to his son. He was also appointed chaplain to King William and Queen Mary, and continued to enjoy that honour under Queen Anne. He commenced D. D. July 5th 1697, performing all the offices required to that degree publicly and with great applause. He was made vicar of Deptford in 1703; succeeded Dr Hooper as dean of Canterbury the same year; and was thrice chosen prolocutor of the lower house of convocation. His uncommon diligence and industry, assisted by his excellent parts, enriched him with a large stock of polite, solid, and useful learning. His discourses from the pulpit were equally pleasing and profitable; a beautiful intermixture of the clearest reasoning with the purest diction, attended with all the graces of a just elocution. The good Christian, the solid divine, and the fine gentleman, in him were happily united. His conversation was polite and delicate, grave without preciseness, facetious without levity. His piety was real and rational, his charity great and universal, fruitful in acts of mercy, and in all good works. He died March 18th 1728, aged 68 years; and was buried in the chancel of the church at Lewisham. The dean was twice married: first to Olivia Cotton, by whom he had one son and four daughters. His second lady, who was sister to Sir Charles Wager, survived him, dying October 1st 1739, aged about 54. One of the dean's daughters was married to a son of Bishop Burnet. Bishop Moore of Ely died the day before Queen Anne; who, it has been laid, deigned our dean for that fee when it should become vacant. Dr Felton says, "The late dean of Canterbury is excellent in the whole. His thoughts and reasoning are bright and solid. His style is just, both for the purity of the language and for the strength and beauty of expression; but the periods are formed in so peculiar an order of the words, that it was an observation, nobody could pronounce them with the same grace and advantage as himself." His writings, which are an inestimable treasure of piety and devotion are, A Paraphrase and Comment upon the Epistles and Gospels, 4 vols, 1705, 8vo. Sermons at Boyle's Lecture, 1706, 4to. Fifteen Sermons, 1700, 8vo. Twelve Sermons on Several Occasions, 1727, 8vo. Thomas à Kempis, 1696, 8vo. Epictetus's Morals, with Simplicius's Comment, and the Life of Epictetus, 1700, 8vo. Parfon's Christian Directory, 1716, 8vo. Rochefoucault's Maxims, 1706, 8vo. A Funeral Sermon on Mr Richard Sare bookeller, 1744; two editions 4to. Twenty Sermons, published singly between Stanhope, between the years 1692 and 1724. Private Prayers for every Day in the Week, and for the several Parts of each Day; translated from the Greek Devotions of Bishop Andrews, with Additions, 1739. In his translations, it is well known, Dr Stanhope did not confine himself to a strict and literal version: he took the liberty of paraphrasing, explaining, and improving upon his author; as will evidently appear (not to mention any other work) by the slightest perusal of St Augustine's Meditations, and the Devotions of Bishop Andrews.