This book was bought by Robert Johnston, who contacted me. "Eikon Basilike" means "Royal Portrait". It has the signature of Adam Gordon Geddes in the front. There is also a sum in pencil: 1834 - 1648 = 186. The book has the publication date of 1648, so it is likely that Adam Gordon Geddes bought it in 1834, and wanted to work out how old it was. In fact, the first edition was published in 1649, shortly after the execution of King Charles I. It was a popular book, and there were many subsequent editions. See Wikipedia article.
The envelope came with the book. From the address, we can work out that this is Augustus David Geddes, a son of John Geddes (V), the oldest son of Adam Gordon Geddes. So it seems likely that the book was inherited by that branch of the family.
There are hand written notes at the back of the book (see photos). These are taken from Hume's "History of England". David Hume was the Scottish Enlightenment philosopher, historian, economist, librarian and essayist, and he discusses the Eikon Basilike.
Click on photos for a larger version.
© Jo Edkins 2022 - Return to Geddes index