[Page 9.] v. 170. Sturbrydge fayre] The fair kept annually in the neighbourhood of Cambridge, and so named from the rivulet Stour and bridge.
[Page 9.] v. 171. Tryuyals and quatryuyals] The trivials were the first three sciences taught in the schools, viz. Grammar, Rhetoric, and Logic; the quatrivials were the higher set, viz. Astrology (or Astronomy), Geometry, Arithmetic, and Music. See Du Cange’s Gloss. in vv. Trivium, Quadrivium; and Hallam’s Introd. to the Lit. of Europe, i. 4.
—— appayre] i. e. impair, are impaired, come to decay.
v. 174. Albertus de modo significandi] “Albertus,” says Warton, after citing this stanza, “is the author of the Margarita Poetica, a collection of Flores from the classics and other writers, printed at Nurenberg, 1472, fol.” Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to. The work mentioned here by Skelton is stated to have been first printed in 1480. The title of an edition by Wynkyn de Worde, dated 1515, is as follows; Modi significādi Alberti sine quibus grammaticæ notitia haberi nullo pacto potest: there is said to be another edition n. d. by the same printer: see Typ. Ant., ii. 208. ed. Dibdin.
v. 175. Donatus] i. e. the work attributed to Ælius Donatus, the Roman grammarian: see the Bibliog. Dictionary of Dr. Clarke (iii. 144), who observes; “It has been printed with several titles, such as Donatus; Donatus Minor; Donatus pro puerulis, Donati Ars, &c., but the work is the same, viz. Elements of the Latin Language for the Use of Children.” See too Warton’s Hist. of E. P., i. 281 (note), ed. 4to.
—— scole] i. e. school.
v. 177. Inter didascolos] “Interdidascolos is the name of an old grammar.” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to. Warton may be right: but I have never met with any grammar that bears such a title.
—— fole] i. e. fool.
v. 178. Alexander] i. e. Alexander de Villa Dei, “author of the Doctrinale Puerorum, which for some centuries continued to be the most favourite manual of grammar used in schools, and was first printed at Venice in the year 1473 [at Treviso, in 1472: see Typ. Ant., ii. 116. ed. Dibdin]. It is compiled from Priscian, and in Leonine verse. See Henr. Gandav. Scriptor. Eccles. cap. lix. This admired system has been loaded with glosses and lucubrations; but, on the authority of an ecclesiastical synod, it was superseded by the Commentarii Grammatici of Despauterius, in 1512. It was printed in England as early as the year 1503 by W. de Worde. [The existence of this ed. has been questioned. The work was printed by Pynson in 1505, 1513, 1516: see Typ. Ant., ii. 116, 426, 427, ed. Dibdin, and Lowndes’s Bibliog. Man., i. 27]. Barklay, in the Ship of Fooles, mentions Alexander’s book, which he calls ‘The olde Doctrinall with his diffuse and vnperfite breuitie.’ fol. 53. b [ed. 1570].” Warton’s Hist. of E. P., ii. 347 (note), ed. 4to.