Priscian

Priscian was a leading text-book on the subject, and it was supported by a short manual compiled from Donatus.

Alfred had taught himself Latin by translating: there were few vocabularies, and only the crabbed grammar of old Priscian.

He devoted special attention to the early Latin writers, and is highly spoken of by Priscian.

He may have had a glimmering that some of them were absurd; and that Priscian with his reference to the Greek was a safer guide.