instead concentrated on defending the noble lineage and character of his grandfather John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland and even rhetorically challenged the author to a duel. However, Sidney's reply remained unpublished. The work was eventually printed in Collins's "Sydney Papers" in 1746. The book highly influenced Leicester's historical reputation, as later writers, from William Camden onward, relied heavily on it. It thus laid the foundation of a historiographical tradition that depicted him as the classical Machiavellian courtier and as the evil spirit of Elizabeth's court. References External links Modern edition with critical apparatus: Leicester's Commonwealth: The Copy of a Letter Written by a Master of Art of Cambridge (1584) and Related Documents (ed. by D.C. Peck, Ohio University Press, 1985) The printed edition of 1641: Leycesters common-wealth 1584 books Early Modern English literature Propaganda books and pamphlets