NESTOR, Dionysius (d. c.1500). Vocabularius. – SULPITIUS Verulanus (fl. c.1470). De quantitate syllabarum. Venice: Philippus Pincius, 1496.

Early printed Latin dictionary. Third edition of this dual publication from Pincius’ press. Nestor’s Latin dictionary showcases the ways that printers were trying to convey large amounts of information while remaining clear and efficient. Arranging entries alphabetically, Pincius places the word itself in one margin and the cited authorities in the opposite, for quick reference while searching through dense prose. The success of Nestor’s Latin vocabulary lent him the moniker Nestor Vocabulista.

The work includes many medical entries including cerebrum (the brain), malum (disease) as well as chirurgia (surgery) – the latter Nestor correctly derives from the Greek kheír (hand) and érgon (work) because, in his words, ‘manibus haec ars exerceatur’ (the hands are what practice this art). Rare at auction with two sales in RBH from 2003 and 1981. HC *6255; BMC V 497; BSB-Ink N-21; GW M25986; Bod-inc N-009; CIBN N-13; Goff N-15; ISTC in00015000.

Super-chancery folio (312 × 208mm). 152 leaves (including final blank, s4 and s5 misbound following r3). Roman and Greek type, woodcut historiated initials, some initial spaces with guide-letters (light soiling to title-page, a little marginal worming to first and last few leaves, worming touching lettering on t7 and heavier on blank t8). Half calf over contemporary wooden boards preserving much of the contemporary calf sides blindstamped with trellis and a large lily similar but perhaps not identical to Schunke/Schwenke Lilie 322 (evidence of roundels at leather corners, rebacked, endpapers renewed, hardware lacking).