Diplomacy and Political Relationships in the Mid-Elizabethan Polity: The Careers of William Davison and Thomas Wilkes

该项目的目的是通过威廉·戴维森和托马斯·威尔克斯的职业生涯来探索1570年代和1580年代的外交和政治景观，以重新构建外交官在伊丽莎白中期政体中的角色。特别是，他们的政治关系将集中在展示部长，外交官和职员之间的关系如何不像赞助人和客户那样严格定义，而是相当合作，共生和流动。这将重塑关于派系斗争和“商界人士”的过时、无益的辩论。

The objective of this project is to explore the diplomatic and political landscape of the 1570sand 1580s through the careers of William Davison and Thomas Wilkes, in order to reframethe role of diplomats in the mid-Elizabethan polity. In particular, their political relationshipswill be focussed upon, showing how relationships between minsters, diplomats, and clerkswere not as strictly defined as those of patrons and clients, but were rather collegial,symbiotic and fluid. This will recast outdated, sterile debates on factionalism and 'men-of-business'