FIRST EDITION, published in 1888 by Cassidy, Book and Job Printer. Overall in VERY GOOD CONDITION, with clean brown cloth boards, some damage to the cloth near the bottom of the spine, rubbed but legible gilt spine titling, light corner and edge wear, bumped corners. There is a previous owner name and date, 1888, pencilled on first free endpaper. I couldn't read the name; I presume this marking can be erased. No further marks in 279 pages. I found four glossy plates in flip-through; the frontispiece and three others.
A brief of the subject of this book from the internet:
"Montezuma or Moctezuma –, 1480–1520, Aztec emperor (c.1502–1520). He is sometimes called Montezuma II to distinguish him from Montezuma I (ruled 1440–69), who carried on conquests around Tenochtitlán. His reign was marked by incessant warfare, and his despotic rule caused grave unrest. When Hernán Cortés arrived in Mexico he was thus able to gain native allies, notably in the province of the Tlaxcala. Montezuma, believing the Spanish to be descendants of the god Quetzalcoatl, tried to persuade them to leave by offering rich gifts. That failing, he received them in his splendid court at Tenochtitlán in Nov., 1519. Cortés later seized him as a hostage and attempted to govern through him. In June, 1520, the Aztec rose against the Spanish. Montezuma was killed, although whether by the Spanish or the Aztec is not certain."
B98