GARCILA'SO, the Inca, as he styled himself, was born at Cuzco, in Pom, towards the middle of the I6th century, after the conquest of that country by the Spaniards. His father, Garcilaso de la Vega, allied by blood to the noble houses of Feria and Infantado, served under the Pizarros in that expedition. lie married, at Cuzco, Elizabeth Pella of the race of the Incas, who is stated in her sons epitaph at Cordova to have been sister to Huayna Capac, the last emperor of Peru. Young Garcilaso proceeded to Spain at an early age, about 1560 ; he obtained the rank of captain in the Spanish service, but he seems to have lived the greater part of his life at Cordova, where be died in April 1616. His contemporary, Father Benaventura do Salinas, in bia 'Memorial de Is iliatoria del Nuevo Mundo; chapter ii., says "that he was much esteemed by the Catholic kings for the talents he displayed in writing his historical works; that he lived piously, and bequeathed by will his property, which was moderate, to the souls in purgatory." He was buried in the cathedral of Cordova, in a chapel which has been called in consequence Garcilaso'a Chapel.' (See the Introduction to Gareilaso's 'History
of Florida,' Madrid, 1723.) Oareilaso wrote a history of Peru : 'Comentarios Reales qua tratan del Origen de los Incas, de sue Leyes y Gobierno,' &c., foL, Lisbon, 1609. Clareilaso's history has been much praised for its impartiality, but its merits have been exaggerated from tho supposition that the author, in consequence of 11L9 l'ernvian connections, had peculiar sources of information. This however seems not to have been the case. One advantage ho had, that of understanding well his maternal language; and he says in his introduction that he was able to correct the misinterpretations of l'eruvian words by Spanish writers. His style is reckoned inelegant and diffuse. lie wrote an account of the conquest of Florida by Fernando de Soto : ' La Florida del Ynca,' Lisbon, 1605. Both Gareilaso's History of the Inca.; and his ' History of Florida,' were translated and published in French,' 2 vols. 4to, Amsterdam, 1727.