Two Burlesques of Lord Chesterfield's Letters.the Graces (1774), the Fine Gentleman's Etiquette (1776)

In the 1770s, Lord Chesterfield's "Letters to his Son" became an instant sensation - and a scandal. The famous aristocrat had spent decades counseling his illegitimate child on the arts of charm, wit, and social manipulation, and the reading public couldn't get enough of it. These two verse pamphlets take sharp aim at his brand of worldly wisdom. "The Graces" hilariously advises young men that charm and polish can substitute for actual merit, while "The Fine Gentleman's Etiquette" extends the joke with a woman's pointed perspective on what it takes to win social favor. Together they capture a moment when Enlightenment readers were both fascinated and troubled by the idea that virtue might be taught - or faked. These aren't great poems, but they're clever, lightweight period pieces that reveal how Chesterfield's letters struck their original audience: as seductive and dangerous.