Introductory:
Haggard's love of history surfaces before we read the story proper of The Virgin of the Sun.

The author sets the stage for his peruvian tale with a scenario fairly common in fiction: the discovery of a manuscript telling a truly extraordinary tale.  But Haggard does not merely launch into the story of Hubert and Quilla in using this literary device.  Instead, he dedicates nearly 18 pages to the facts and details surrounding the discovery of the manuscript.
The two antique collectors
The presentation of the chest, which belonged to an ancient family who fled from France to Norfolk
The editor's curiosity about the chest and his first, clandestine, investigation of its contents
Mr. Potts' connection with the spirit world and the lovely, strange, woman spirit who apparently hovers around in his Elizabethan home.  This spirit is likely to be Quilla

The inventory of the chest including a letter from a lady, probably written in the 19th century, that reflected on her father's travels and the rarities he brought home--the Indian dress, jewelry, and the Black Letter manuscript.