Letters to His Son on the Art of Becoming a Man of the World and a Gentleman

Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694 - 1773)

Philip Stanhope, Earl of Chesterfield, was at one time Ambassador to the Hague, negotiated the second Treaty of Vienna, was a founding governor of London’s Foundling Hospital, Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, and Secretary of State. Having no legitimate children, his heir was his third cousin (another Philip) whom he adopted. Although known as a hard, calculating man, he is most well known for his letters to his natural son (i.e., illegitimate son) (also called Philip). When Philip died in 1768, the letters are addressed to his grandchildren (Philip’s two sons, Charles, and, yes, Philip!). (Sibella Denton)

From the introduction:
“The proud Lord Chesterfield would have turned in his grave had he known that he was to go down to posterity as a teacher and preacher of the gospel of not grace, but—"the graces, the graces, the graces." Natural gifts, social status, open opportunities, and his ambition, all conspired to destine him for high statesmanship. If anything was lacking in his qualifications, he had the pluck and good sense to work hard and persistently until the deficiency was made up. Something remained lacking, and not all his consummate mastery of arts could conceal that conspicuous want,—the want of heart.

Teacher and preacher he assuredly is, and long will be, yet no thanks are his due from a posterity of the common people whom he so sublimely despised. His pious mission was not to raise the level of the multitude, but to lift a single individual upon a pedestal so high that his lowly origin should not betray itself. That individual was his, Lord Chesterfield's, illegitimate son, whose inferior blood should be given the true blue hue by concentrating upon him all the externals of aristocratic education.”

Genre(s): Self-Help, Letters

Language: English

Section Chapter Reader Time
Play 00 000 - Introduction Sibella Denton
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Play 01 001 - Letter 1 Sibella Denton
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Play 02 002 - Letters 2-5 Sibella Denton
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Play 03 003 - Letters 6-7 Sibella Denton
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Play 04 004 - Letters 8-10 Sibella Denton
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Play 05 005 - Letters 11-13 Sibella Denton
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Play 06 006 - Letters 14-15 Sibella Denton
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Play 07 007 - Letter 16 Sibella Denton
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Play 08 008 - Letter 17 Sibella Denton
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Play 09 009 - Letters 18-19 Sibella Denton
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Play 10 010 - Letters 20-21 Sibella Denton
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Play 11 011 - Letters 22-23 Sibella Denton
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Play 12 012 - Letters 24-26 Sibella Denton
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Play 13 013 - Letters 27-29 Sibella Denton
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Play 14 014 - Letters 30-31 Sibella Denton
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Play 15 015 - Letter 32 Sibella Denton
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Play 16 016 - Letter 33 Sibella Denton
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Play 17 017 - Letters 34-36 Sibella Denton
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Play 18 018 - Letter 37 Sibella Denton
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Play 19 019 - Letters 38-39 Sibella Denton
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Play 20 020 - Letter 40 Sibella Denton
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Play 21 021 - Letters 41-42 Sibella Denton
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Play 22 022 - Letters 43-44 Sibella Denton
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Play 23 023 - Letter 45 Sibella Denton
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Play 24 024 - Letter 46 Sibella Denton
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Play 25 025 - Letters 47-48 Sibella Denton
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Play 26 026 - Letter 49 Sibella Denton
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Play 27 027 - Letter 50 Sibella Denton
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Play 28 028 - Letter 51 Sibella Denton
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Play 29 029 - Letter 52 Sibella Denton
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Play 30 030 - Letter 53 Sibella Denton
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Play 31 031 - Letter 54 Sibella Denton
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Play 32 032 - Letter 55 Sibella Denton
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Play 33 033 - Letter 56 Sibella Denton
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Play 34 034 - Letters 57-59 Sibella Denton
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Play 35 035 - Letter 60 Sibella Denton
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Play 36 036 - Letter 61 Sibella Denton
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Play 37 037 - Letters 62-63 Sibella Denton
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Play 38 038 - Letter 64 Sibella Denton
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Play 39 039 - Letters 65-66 Sibella Denton
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Play 40 040 - Letters 67-68 Sibella Denton
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Play 41 041 - Letter 69 Sibella Denton
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Play 42 042 - Letter 70 Sibella Denton
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Play 43 043 - Letter 71 Sibella Denton
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Play 44 044 - Letters 72-74 Sibella Denton
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Play 45 045 - Letter 75 Sibella Denton
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Play 46 046 - Letter 76-77 Sibella Denton
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Play 47 047 - Letter 78 Sibella Denton
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Play 48 048 - Letter 79 Sibella Denton
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Play 49 049 - Letter 80 Sibella Denton
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Play 50 050 - Letter 81 Sibella Denton
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Play 51 051 - Letter 82 Sibella Denton
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Play 52 052 - Letter 83 Sibella Denton
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Play 53 053 - Letter 84 Sibella Denton
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Play 54 054 - Letter 85 Sibella Denton
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Play 55 055 - Letter 86 Sibella Denton
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Play 56 056 - Letter 87 Sibella Denton
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Play 57 057 - Letter 88 Sibella Denton
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Play 58 058 - Letter 89 Sibella Denton
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Play 59 059 - Letter 90 Sibella Denton
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Play 60 060 - Letter 91 Sibella Denton
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Play 61 061 - Letter 92 Sibella Denton
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Play 62 062 - Letter 93 Sibella Denton
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Play 63 063 - Letter 94 Sibella Denton
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Play 64 064 - Letter 95 Sibella Denton
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Play 65 065 - Letter 96 Sibella Denton
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Play 66 066 - Letter 97 Sibella Denton
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Play 67 067 - Letter 98 Sibella Denton
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Play 68 068 - Letters 99 Sibella Denton
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Play 69 069 - Letter 100 Sibella Denton
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Play 70 070 - Letter 101 Sibella Denton
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Play 71 071 - Letter 102 Sibella Denton
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Play 72 072 - Letter 103 Sibella Denton
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Play 73 073 - Letter 104 Sibella Denton
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Play 74 074 - Letter 105 Sibella Denton
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Play 77 077 - Letter 108 Sibella Denton
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Play 78 078 - Letter 109 Sibella Denton
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Play 79 079 - Letter 110 Sibella Denton
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Play 80 080 - Letter 111 Sibella Denton
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Play 81 081 - Letter 112 Sibella Denton
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Play 82 082 - Letter 113 Sibella Denton
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Play 83 083 - Letter 114 Sibella Denton
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Play 84 084 - Letter 115 Sibella Denton
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Play 85 085 - Letter 116 Sibella Denton
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Play 86 086 - Letter 117 Sibella Denton
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Play 87 087 - Letter 118 Sibella Denton
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Play 88 088 - Letter 119 Sibella Denton
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Play 89 089 - Letter 120 Sibella Denton
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Play 90 090 - Letter 121 Sibella Denton
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Play 91 091 - Letter 122 Sibella Denton
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Play 92 092 - Letter 123 Sibella Denton
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Play 94 094 - Letter 125 Sibella Denton
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Play 95 095 - Letter 126 Sibella Denton
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Play 97 097 - Letter 128 Sibella Denton
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Play 100 100 - Letter 131 Sibella Denton
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Play 105 105 - Letter 136 Sibella Denton
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Play 106 106 - Letter 137 Sibella Denton
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Play 111 111 - Letter 142 Sibella Denton
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Play 112 112 - Letter 143 Sibella Denton
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Play 115 115 - Letter 146 Sibella Denton
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Play 119 119 - Letter 150 Sibella Denton
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Play 120 120 - Letter 151 Sibella Denton
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Play 121 121 - Letter 152 Sibella Denton
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Play 122 122 - Letter 153 Sibella Denton
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Play 123 123 - Letter 154 Sibella Denton
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Play 124 124 - Letter 155 Sibella Denton
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Play 125 125 - Letter 156 Sibella Denton
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Play 126 126 - Letter 157 Sibella Denton
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Play 127 127 - Letter 158 Sibella Denton
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Play 128 128 - Letter 159 Sibella Denton
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Play 129 129 - Letter 160 Sibella Denton
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Play 130 130 - Letter 161 Sibella Denton
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Play 131 131 - Letter 162 Sibella Denton
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Play 132 132 - Letter 163 Sibella Denton
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Play 133 133 - Letter 164 Sibella Denton
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Play 134 134 - Letter 165 Sibella Denton
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Play 135 135 - Letter 166 Sibella Denton
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Play 136 136 - Letter 167 Sibella Denton
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Play 137 137 - Letter 168 Sibella Denton
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Play 138 138 - Letter 169 Sibella Denton
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Play 139 139 - Letter 170 Sibella Denton
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Play 140 140 - Letter 171 Sibella Denton
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Play 141 141 - Letter 172 Sibella Denton
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Play 142 142 - Letter 173 Sibella Denton
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Play 143 143 - Letter 174 Sibella Denton
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Play 144 144 - Letter 175 Sibella Denton
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Play 145 145 - Letter 176 Sibella Denton
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Play 146 146 - Letter 177 Sibella Denton
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Play 147 147 - Letter 178 Sibella Denton
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Play 148 148 - Letter 179 Sibella Denton
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Play 149 149 - Letter 180 Sibella Denton
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Play 150 150 - Letter 181 Sibella Denton
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Play 151 151 - Letter 182 Sibella Denton
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Play 156 156 - Letter 187 Sibella Denton
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Play 157 157 - Letter 188 Sibella Denton
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Play 158 158 - Letter 189 Sibella Denton
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Play 159 159 - Letters 190-191 Sibella Denton
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Play 160 160 - Letter 192 Sibella Denton
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Play 162 162 - Letter 194 Sibella Denton
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Play 164 164 - Letter 196 Sibella Denton
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Play 167 167 - Letter 199 Sibella Denton
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Play 168 168 - Letter 200 Sibella Denton
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Play 169 169 - Letter 201 Sibella Denton
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Play 170 170 - Letter 202 Sibella Denton
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Play 171 171 - Letters 203-204 Sibella Denton
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Play 173 173 - Letter 207 Sibella Denton
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Play 175 175 - Letters 209-210 Sibella Denton
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Play 177 177 - Letter 212 Sibella Denton
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Play 181 181 - Letter 216 Sibella Denton
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Play 182 182 - Letters 217-218 Sibella Denton
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Play 184 184 - Letter 221 Sibella Denton
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Play 188 188 - Letters 229-231 Sibella Denton
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Play 196 196 - Letters 247-250 Sibella Denton
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Play 197 197 - Letters 251-253 Sibella Denton
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Play 198 198 - Letters 254-258 Sibella Denton
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Play 199 199 - Letters 259-260 Sibella Denton
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