Alan of Lille's Distinctiones

Alan of Lille's Distinctiones
C.W., c.1474
ALANUS DE INSULIS (c.1128-c.1203). Distinctiones dictionum theologicalium. [Strasbourg: C.W., not after 1473.]

First and only incunable edition of a work by one of the great thinkers of the Twelfth-century Renaissance. Alan of Lille, a former student of Peter Abelard, brought his vast knowledge of both Biblical and Classical tradition to this dictionary of all the words in Scripture not discussed by earlier church fathers. The printer has been identified tentatively as Clas Wencker or Conrad Wolfach. This book, according to RBH and ABPC, has not appeared at auction in over 100 years. HC 391*; BMC I 82; BSB-Ink A-92; GW 488; Bod-inc A-072; Goff A-169; ISTC ia00169000.

Royal folio (354 x 251mm). 95 leaves. First leaf printed in red and black. Red penwork initials, red paragraph marks and capital strokes (some gatherings browned, large gutter dampstain, some wormholes, final leaf repaired at gutter). Modern light brown morocco, red speckled edges (light scuffing). Provenance: acquired from Bernard M. Rosenthal, Inc, New York, 1 November 1964.