DONATUS, AiLIUS, a celebrated grammarian, who lived in the middle of the 4th century. lie wroto a Grammar, which, long cou tinned in the schools ; and also Notes upon Terence and Virgil. lie was most eminent in the time of Constantius, and taught rhetoric and polite literature at Rome in the year 856, about which time St. Jerome studied grammar .uuder him. Douatus has given ample employment to the bibliographers, who all speak of au Editio Tabellaris ain't ulla nota' of his Grammar, as ono of the first °Mina at printing by means of letters cut on wooden blocks. (See Meennan, 'Origines Typo graph.' of this and other editions, 4to, Hag. Com., 1765, tons i. pp. 126, 132; iL, pp. 107, 215, 2I8.) This Grammar has been printed with several titles, as Donatus," Donatus Minor," Donatus Ethi molyzatus,"Douatus pro puerulis,' &c., but the work is the same, namely, ' Elements of the Latin Language for the use of Childreu.' In the volume of the ' Gramtnatici Veteres,' printed by Nies Jenson, without date, it is entitled ' Doman. de Barbarierno of de octo parti bus Orationie Dr. Clarke, in his Bibliographical Dictionary,' vol.
pp. 144.148, has given a long list of editions of Meatus, to which the more inquisitive reader is referred. Donahue. Cornmentarii iii quluque Comoslias Toreatii,' were first printed without date, pro bably beforo 1460, and reprinted in 1471 and 1476. The ' Cum mentarius in Virgilitn,' fol., Van., 1520, though ascribed to him, is thought by many not to bo his.
Donat, in the middle ages, both in English and French, became a synonym for any system of grammar : as in Piers Plowman " Then drove I me among drapers my Danet to )erne." In the statutes of Winchester College, written about 13S6, grammar is called Antitplus Donatus,' the old Doing. Cotgravo quotes an old French proverb, "Los Diablcs eatoiont eucoros on lour Douat," "the devils were but yet in their grimmer." (Harks, /ntrod. in Hut. Ling. Latinos, Svo, Bream, 1773, pp. 202, 203; Clarke, Bibliogr. Did., ut supra; Warton, Hist. Eng. Pct., 4to, voL i. p. 231; 3:e.)