Roberti Bodii - Ad Ephesios Praelectiones - 1660

Bibliographical Information

Author / Compiler:
Robert Boyd (Robertus Bodius, a Trochoregia Scoti / Robert Boyd of Trochrig)

Title:
In Epistolam Pauli Apostoli ad Ephesios Praelectiones (Detailed Lectures on the Epistle of the Apostle Paul to the Ephesians)

Editor / Printer:
Samuel Chouët (Typis & Sumptibus Samuelis Chouët)

Place of Publication:
Geneva (Genavae)

Year of Publication:
1661 (M.DC.LXI.)

Collation / Format:
Large Folio (2°).
Magnificently bound contemporary blind-stamped pigskin leather over wooden boards with cords and raised central medallions. A substantial work with a preface, main text, four extensive indexes (Index Rerum et Verborum, Index Locorum Scripturæ, Index Auctorum) and colloquies.

Condition:
Age-appropriate, authentic preservation. Slightly rubbed binding with stained spots and minor blemishes, spine intact with visible cords and handwritten spine title. Endpapers with historical notes and marginalia. Paper block browned with age, occasionally faint foxing, but the inner pages surprisingly solid and well-preserved. An absolute collector’s piece with patina.

A monumental theological masterpiece from Geneva – Robert Boyd’s rare 1661 Epistle to the Ephesians lectures in a contemporary pigskin folio
Let’s be honest: true book culture is measured not by glossy modern covers but by the tactile weight, the scent of centuries, and the intellectual force emanating from works like this. Before us lies a genuine giant of the Reformed scholarly republic: Robert Boyd of Trochrig (Robertus Bodius) with a monumental exegesis on the Epistle to the Ephesians by the Apostle Paul, printed in 1661 in the European Protestant stronghold, Geneva.

About the work and its exclusivity
Robert Boyd of Trochrig (1578–1627), a Scottish theologian of European standing and at times Rector of the University of Glasgow, was known for a erudition that excels in thoroughness and piety. His lectures (Praelectiones) are characterized by breathtaking philological precision and theological depth. They penetrate the Pauline text not only word by word but extend to the broader history of church fathers and ancient philosophy.
The Geneva edition by Samuel Chouët from 1661 is exceptionally rare. The work impresses with bibliographic completeness: in addition to the main text, it features four meticulously crafted indexes at the end (including the Rerum et Verborum index and the important Index Auctorum Citatorum, revealing the author’s intellectual sources).

Physical appearance and condition
The present folio volume is a tactile statement of historical weight. Bound in a massive, contemporary pigskin leather over sturdy wooden boards, it bears the hallmarks of a long scholarly life: splendid blind stamps (central medallions) adorn the covers, the spine with its strong cords still bears the old handwritten title. The text block sits solidly in the binding; the paper possesses that incomparable heavy quality characteristic of old rag papers. Historical ownership marks and notes on the flyleaves give this exemplar a unique provenance and soul.

A bibliophile highlight for discerning collectors of incunabula and early prints, for European printing history of the 17th century, and for lovers of weighty, authentic luxury bindings. A book that does not gather dust on a shelf, but lends intellectual depth and historical majesty to any room.