[1] He was younger son of John Le Petite or Pettie of Tetsworth and Stoke Talmage, Oxfordshire, by his wife Mary, daughter of William Charnell of Snareston, Leicestershire.
[2] The success of The Palace of Pleasure (1566–7) of William Painter prompted Pettie to write a similar book: A Petite Pallace of Pettie his Pleasure, contayning many pretie Hystories by him, set foorth in comely Colours, and most delightfully discoursed.’ It was licensed for the press to Richard Watkins on 6 August 1576, and was published soon afterwards, without date.
[2] Pettie also translated the first three books of Stefano Guazzo's Civile Conversation, via French.
The first edition appeared in that year with a dedication addressed from Pettie's lodging near St Paul's Cathedral, London, on 6 February 1581, to Marjorie, wife of Henry Norris, 1st Baron Norreys.
A second issue by Thomas East was dated 1586, and included a fourth book of Guazzo, begun by Pettie, but completed from the Italian by Bartholomew Young.
[2] Pettie left lands at Aston Rowant, Kingston Blount, and Tetsworth, handed down from his father, to his brother Christopher.