First major work on the Inca Empire in the English language
VEGA, Garcilasso de la, ‘El Inca’. The Royal Commentaries of Peru. In Two Parts. The first Part. Treating of the original of their Incas or Kings: Of their Idolatry: Of their Laws and Government both in Peace and War: Of the Reigns and Conquests of the Incas: With many other Particulars relating to their Empire and Policies before such time as the Spaniards invaded their Countries. The Second Part. Describing the Manner by which that new World was conquered by the Spaniards. Also the Civil Wars between the Piçarrists and the Almagrians, occasioned by Quarrels arising about the Division of that Land. Of the Rise and Fall of Rebels; and other Particulars contained in that History. Illustrated with Sculptures. Written originally in Spanish, by the Inca Gardilasso de la Vega, and rendred [sic] into English, by Sir Paul Rycaut, Kt. 1688

Folio. Early, and handsome, full tan pitted leather, spine with 5 raised bands, tooled in gilt in compartments with onlaid red leather label lettered in gilt, with some expert, historically sympathetic, and almost invisible, restoration to the binding, red speckled edges, original endpapers; pp. [x] + 1019 + [8], index; with letterpress title in red and black; illustrated with fine engraved portrait frontispiece of the translator Sir Paul Rycaut and 10 fine and dramatic full-page engraved plates; a very handsome copy, internally and externally exceptionally fresh, hinges (not joints) cracked but firm, internally generally fresh and crisp with some occasional internal spots, blemishes, or marks, with one small and insignificant loss to lower cover, offset-soiling to edges of free endpapers and inner hinges, and ink marks to the same, final couple of signatures lightly toned; with contemporary calligraphed inscription to front free endpaper, “The Royall Comentarys of Peru writen [sic] by Inca Garcilasco de la Vega” above the notation of a string of numbers, with another longer contemporary inscription in calligraphy to front blank, “Charles Lord Baron of Shelburne his Booke, price (1Gn = 7 = 6) bought at London In the year 1690 In the Second year of the Reign of their Ma.stys King William and Queen Mary”, followed by a longish note about the work in the same florid hand; also with the fine early engraved armorial bookplate of Sir John Anstruther of that ilk, Baronet, to verso of title-page.

First English edition, one of four imprint variants of the work on the history and civilisation of the Inca Empire including its destruction, published simultaneously or within a short while, and without established precedence. 

This is one of the most important historical and literary works ever published about the Inca Empire and the early conquest of the Spanish.  It is also the first major work on the subject in English, possibly preceded by extracts of the accounts of the Americas, or information on the Inca Empire.

The author Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (1539-1616) was born in the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco in the same decade as the conquest of Peru. He was the son of a Spaniard of noble lineage and an Indian princess, Chimpa Oclio, a second cousin of the last two Inca rulers, the rivals Huascar and Atalualpa.  

The commentaries give an account of the birth, growth, and fall of the Inca Empire from its legendary origin until the execution of the last native ruler Upac Amaru, in 1572.  Part One deals with the history of the Inca civilisation, ending with the civil wars between Atalualpa and Huascar which reached a climax only just before the arrival of the Spaniards.  Although the Inca theme is supposedly continued in Part Two, which opens with the organisation of Pizarro’s expedition and his capture of the Atahualpa, the Indians in fact play no more than a subordinate role in it.  The second part is essentially a book about the conquerors. The first part of “Los Comentarios Reales de Los Incas” was first printed in Lisbon in 1609, and the second part in 1617

ESTC R11046; Sabin 98760; Palau 354801.