author

active 1575-1595 Angel Day

Best known for The English Secretary, this late Elizabethan writer helped shape how English readers learned the art of letter writing. His work turned formal rhetoric into something practical, lively, and useful for everyday social and business life.

1 Audiobook

The English Secretary; or, Methode of Writing Epistles and Letters (1599) With, a Declaration of Such Tropes, Figures, and Schemes, as Either Usually or for Ornament Sake Are Therein Required

The English Secretary; or, Methode of Writing Epistles and Letters (1599) With, a Declaration of Such Tropes, Figures, and Schemes, as Either Usually or for Ornament Sake Are Therein Required

by active 1575-1595 Angel Day

About the author

Little is known about Angel Day's life, and even his birth and death dates are uncertain. He is usually described as an Elizabethan rhetorician and scholar, active in the late 16th century.

Day is remembered chiefly for The English Secretary, first published in 1586. The book was a major early English manual on letter writing, offering model letters and advice on style, courtesy, and persuasion at a time when written correspondence was becoming increasingly important.

What makes his work stand out is its practical feel. Rather than leaning only on classical examples, Day wrote for English readers in English, helping bring the art of rhetoric into daily life. For readers interested in how people once learned to write with elegance, tact, and purpose, his work offers a fascinating window into the world of Elizabethan communication.