ed by Hearne, Nasmith, and
Dallaway,) was Fastolfe's secretary, he was kept in a subordinate position,
and valued for his merely clerical, {li} not his literary, services. Sir
John Fastolfe's passion was the acquisition of property; whilst William of
Worcestre, on his part, followed (as far as he could) the bent of his own
taste, and not that of his master; being (as his comrade Henry Windsore
declared) as glad to obtain a good book of French or of Poetry as his
master Fastolfe was to purchase a fair manor.[72]

The translation of Cicero de Senectute, which was printed by Caxton in
1481, is indeed in the preface stated to have been translated by the
ordinance and desire of the noble ancient knight sir John Fastolfe;[73]
and, though Worcestre's name is not mentioned by Caxton, we may conclude
that it was the same translation which from Worcestre's own memoranda we
know was made by him.[74] Still, it was but a very slight deference to
literature, if the ancient knight approved of his secretary's translating
"Tully on Old Age," and did not make any further contribution towards its
publication.

But on the particular subject of the loss of the English provinces in
France, and the causes thereof, there can be no question that sir John
Fastolfe, the "baron {lii} of Sillie le Guillem," once governor of Anjou
and Maine, and lord of Piron and Beaumont, took the deepest interest;
considering that he had spent his best days in their acquisition,
administration, and defence, and that he was one of the principal sufferers
by their loss. He may, therefore, well have promoted the composition of the
work now before us.

William of Worcestre has the reputation of having written a memoir[75] of
the exploits of sir John Fastolfe; but this is not traceable beyond the
bare assertion of Bale, and a more recent misapprehension of the meaning of
one of the Paston letters.

{liii}

Another person whose name has occurred as having been employed in a
literary capacity for sir John Fastolfe[76] is Peter Basset[77]; who is
commemorated with some parade by Bale as an historical writer, but whose
writings, though quoted by Hall the chronicler, have either disappeared or
are no longer to be identified.

I have, however, mentioned the names of William of Worcestre and Peter
Basset only from the circumstance of their being connected with that of sir
John {liv} Fastolfe; and not from there being any other presumptive proof
that either of them wrot