1 | 2           Whetstone doesn’t quote his main sources, so it is difficult to know who he refers to. Whetstone only quotes in the margin of the text when he refers his quotation to a classical author such Ovid or Pliny. But it is unusual. We can speak about his sources approximately. It often happens that his sources aren’t easy to find because he speaks about a tale or an argument that many authors spoke about. What we can do is to find a source close to his version and to confront similar passages and different ones. The problem is with his method of composition. Whetstone was a literary man. He loved books and culture, so he assimilated a lot of elements of other authors. He reports some elements of these in his works, but he treats them as an argument that he has elaborated. Sometimes, he translates from a foreign author or quotes from the Bible or a classical author, but he goes on with his own arguments. There are many poems in his books and his main source is Petrarca. In his particular case, he translates some lines, but he continues with his own verses. He takes the themes from Petrarca, not the rhythm or the pattern of his verses.        Whetstone was a typical Elizabethan writer. He reflects in his personality the elements, the customs and uses of that particular time. He was a courtly writer. He wrote for the Queen and sought protection from important men at Court. This is the reason why he wrote dedicatory epistles in his books. He looked for a Patron who could issue his books. The book that we are examining was dedicated to Sir Christopher Hatton. Sir Christopher Hatton was a Knight, Captain of His Majesty’s Garde, vice- chamberlain and Privy Counsell of her Majesty’s the Queen. He was a courtly man, a possible patron, so Whetstone chose him to dedicated his book.        A book about the advantages and disadvantages of Marriage could be dedicated to a happy married couple or to a bachelor to persuade him to marry. Sir Christopher Hatton was a bachelor and an influential man at Court, too. Whetstone had two good reasons to dedicate his book to him. 1 | 2