William Fullwood's primary contribution to the development of a practical rhetoric in Renaissance England is the production of the first known guide to letter writing in the English language. Published in 1568 and beginning a long tradition of such books, The Enimie of Idlenesse is significant because it was written not for scholars but for middle-class citizens, such as the members of the guild to whom the book is dedicated. The importance of this work is further evidenced by its many editions, strongly suggesting its role in meeting the letter-writing needs of an emergent middle class in Elizabethan England. Fullwood also introduced another rhetorical text, The Castel Of Memorie (1562).

Fullwood flourished during the second half of the sixteenth century, though the dates of his birth and death are not known. He is identified as a merchant on the title page of his letter-writing manual, which is dedicated to the...