Elizabeth I

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Thomas Wilson
The rule of Reason, conteinyng the Arte of Logique (London, 1551)
Newberry Library (Case B49 .976)
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Thomas Wilson (1525-1581) was an outstanding legal scholar whose Rule of Reason was the definitive manual for lawyers about how to construct an argument. Likewise, his Rhetoric was the most important guide to style for writers of all kinds, including poets. Later in life, Wilson became a court official and a member of Elizabeth's Privy Council. The binding of this copy bears Elizabeth's arms and may be from her own library.

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