Captain General & Viceroy of Peru

First edition of this account of the deeds of Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza (1535-1609), Captain General of Peru and from 1590-1596 Viceroy of Peru.

The work was commissioned by his family to counter the epic poem La Araucana, written by Alonso Ercilla y Zuniga (1533-1596?), disparaging Hurtado de Mendoza's brutal wars against the Araucana Indians during his time as governor of Chile. The work is also the second main printed source for Mendaña's second voyage in search of the Solomons in 1595 and the discovery of the Marquesas, actually named Marquesas de Mendoza in honour of the Captain General. Many copies lack the eight-page Prologo, here present.

First edition, small 4to, [16], 324pp., large woodcut coat-of-arms on title-page, woodcut initials and head-pieces, handsome modern tan morocco gilt by J. L. Garcia dated 1997, slipcase, old ownership inscription to title crossed out, a fine copy.

Palau 323905; Sabin 93312; Alden 616/111; JCB(3), II.115; Medina (Chile), 41.