Perottus's Cornucopiae linguae latinae

Perottus's Cornucopiae linguae latinae
Paganinus de Paganinis, 1489
PEROTTUS, Nicolaus (1429-1480). Cornucopiae linguae latinae. Edited by Pyrrhus Perottus and Ludovicus Odaxius. Venice: Paganinus de Paganinis, 14 May 1489.

First edition of Perottus’s celebrated commentary on Martial, in a contemporary Italian binding. Perottus used Martial’s text to hang a “densely woven tissue of linguistic, historical, and cultural knowledge” (Ogilvie). It became a standard reference work on the Latin language; Calepinus mined it for his great dictionary, and it was used by Erasmus. This edition also includes short works by Varro, Festus, and Nonius Marcellus. H 12697*; BMC V 455; BSB-Ink P-215; Bod-inc P-100; IGI 7419; Goff P-288; ISTC ip00288000. See also Brian Ogilvie, Science of Describing (2006), p. 118.

Median folio (333 x 209mm). 373 leaves (of 374). Greek and Roman types. Incipit of main text printed in red. (First leaf somewhat soiled, some dampstaining and dustsoiling throughout, a few blank corners renewed, a repaired tear in blank area of final leaf, repaired tear with damaged text replaced in neat ink facsimile.) Contemporary Italian blindtooled morocco over wooden boards, brass catchplates (lacking straps, endpapers renewed, rebacked preserving much of original spine, losses to leather on boards).