Herrera y Tordesillas, ANTONIO

Herrera y Tordesillas, ANTONIO, Spanish historian, was born at Cuellar, in Segovia, in 1549, was appointed by Philip II. historiographer of the Indies and of Castile, and died at Madrid, 29th March 1625. His principal work is a General History of Castilian Exports in the Pacific (1601-15), that is, a history of the Spanish-American colonies from 1492 to 1554 (Eng. trans. by John Stevens, 1725). His Descripción de las Indias Occidentales (1601 and 1615) forms an introduction to the above work. He also wrote on the history of England and Scotland in the time of Mary Stuart; histories of Portugal, of the world in the time of Philip II., of the League, and of the Spanish, French, and Venetians in Italy.