Only extant in MS. T., written by Shirley, and in Stowe's edition of 1561.
Dr. Koch says--'It seems that Stowe has taken his text from Shirley, with a
few modifications in spelling, and altered Shirley's _Scriveyn_ into
_scrivener_, apparently because that word was out of use in his time.
_Scriveyn_ is O. Fr. _escrivain_, F. _écrivain_. Lines 3 and 4 are too long
[in MS. T. and Stowe], but _long_ and _more_ are unnecessary for the sense,
wherfore I have omitted them.' Dr. Sweet omits _long_, but retains _more_,
though it sadly clogs the line. Again, in l. 2, we find _for to_, where
_for_ is superfluous.
2. _Boece_, Chaucer's translation of Boethius. _Troilus_, Chaucer's poem of
Troilus and Creseyde; in 5 books, all in seven-line stanzas. See vol. II.
3. 'Thou oughtest to have an attack of the scab under thy locks, unless
thou write exactly in accordance with my composition.'