First Elzevir edition. [xii], 863, [1] pp. Title page printed in red and black. Second part with half-title and separate register, pagination continuous. 12mo. 19th-century straight-grained red morocco, gilt rules to boards, gilt-lettered spine with raised bands and gilt ornaments, gilt tooling to outer and inner board edges, marbled endpapers. Rubbing to joints, which are starting but secure, spine slightly darkened with chipping to its head. Moderate toning to text, clean tear across leaf Kk3 mended with minor loss to a line of text. USTC 1547980; Darlow & Moule 4669 (state C); STCN 378027026; Willems 225 (ref). Provenance: William Gott (trimmed armorial bookplate); Douglas Maxwell Moffat (bookplate); General Theological Seminary (bookplates).

Item #378211

"The first of the Elzevir editions, printed at the press established at Leyden by Bonaventure and Abraham Elzevir, and celebrated for their fine type, paper and convenient size" (Darlow & Moule). The text is based on the 1565 version edited by Beza. Six more editions appeared from the Elzevir press, the last in 1678.

There are three known states of the first edition: one with a red and black title page and a listed publication city of Lugduni (i.e. Lyon), one with a plain title page and a listed publication city of Lugduni Batavorum (i.e. Leiden), and one with a red and black title page with a listed publication city of Lugduni Batavorum. Willems does not identify the third state but notes that the copies with red and black title pages were intended for distribution in Catholic countries.