Primera y secunda parte de la historia general de las Indias

cõ todo el descubrimiento, y cosas notables que han acaescido donde que se ganaron hasta el año de 1551. Con la conquista de Mexico, y dela nueva España. Medina del Campo : Guillermo de Millis, 1553. Second edition.Two parts in one, folio (275 x 200 mm), contemporary vellum over boards, original ties partially intact, spine with early title in manuscript; main title in red and black with large woodcut of the imperial arms of Spain; printed in black letter, double columns, with woodcut initials; part 1. ff. ccxxii, with large woodcut of a bison on f. ccvii; part 2. ff. cxxxix, with separate title illustrated with large woodcut of the arms of Carlos V between two pillars; main title with staining and repairs (small section in facsimile), second leaf with old repair, minor worming throughout (frequent loss of letters), top edges closely trimmed and a few leaves shaved with loss of shoulder notes and page numbers in top margin, occasional browning.

The very scarce second edition of López de Gómara’s monumental history chronicling the Spanish conquests of the Inca Empire of Peru and the Aztec Empire of Mexico. It contains the first use of the term California to describe the territory above Mexico.

Francisco López de Gómara (1511-1566) was one of the first historians of the New World. His contemporary accounts are of immense significance because they contain descriptions of the indigenous cultures of Peru and Mexico as they were at the time of first contact with Europeans. In 1540 he served as chaplain and secretary to Cortés, a fact which lends great credibility to his work. Furthermore, he would almost certainly have had access to certain documents which have not survived.

In López de Gómara’s opinion, ‘The greatest event which has happened since the creation of the world (leaving aside the incarnation and death of Him who created it) is the discovery of the Indies‘ (from the dedication to Charles V).

The first edition was published the year earlier in 1552 in Zaragoza and is practically unobtainable, the last copy offered at auction was sold in 1967.

Sabin 27725; Medina, 159; Palau, IV, p. 264; Wagner, The Spanish South West, 2b