To This The Judges Made Answer, That His
Authority As Viceroy Could Only Extend So Far As Justice And The Laws Of
The Kingdom Allowed.
As the viceroy and they could not agree on this point,
when they visited the prison on the following Saturday, they ordered Solar
to be liberated, desiring him however to remain under arrest in his own
house; and on a subsequent visitation, they set him entirely at liberty.
The viceroy was much chagrined by this affront, and sought anxiously for
an opportunity of being revenged, for which he thought the following
circumstance gave him a favourable opening. The three judges lodged
separately with some of the richest inhabitants of Lima, who likewise
provided their tables, and furnished every thing that was necessary for
themselves and their servants. At first this was done with the consent of
the viceroy, till such time as they might be able to procure and to
furnish houses for themselves. After the dispute concerning Solar, the
viceroy caused them to be informed, that it did not seem to him consistent
with decorum that they should live at the expence of the citizens, which
would be assuredly displeasing to his majesty, and therefore that they
ought to look out for houses for their accommodation: And that, besides,
he did not approve of their walking about the streets in company with the
merchants and other inhabitants of the city. The judges made answer, that
they had not been able to find any houses for hire, and that they were
under the necessity of waiting till some then building were finished: That
in future they would live at their own charges: but as to walking in the
streets with the inhabitants, it was neither a criminal nor a forbidden
conduct, nor in any way improper; as even in Spain the members of the
royal council, or of any other tribunal, were in use to do the same, which
was even useful, as in that way the merchants had an opportunity of
informing or reminding them of their affairs. The viceroy and the judges
were always upon bad terms, and their misunderstanding broke out into
disputes on every occasion. It is said that at one time the licentiate
Alvarez, one of the judges, preferred an oath to a procurator or attorney,
respecting a bribe which he had given to Alvarez de Cueto, brother-in-law
to the viceroy, for his interest to obtain the appointment. By this
procedure of Alvarez, the viceroy is said to have been greatly offended.
During all this time, the passes of the mountains leading towards Cuzco
had been so well guarded by the Spaniards and Peruvians appointed for that
purpose, that no intelligence could be had at Lima of what was going on
among the remonstrants. It was only known that Gonzalo Pizarro had gone to
Cuzco, and that all those who had withdrawn from Lima and other places in
the plain had repaired to the same place in expectation of a civil war.
The viceroy and judges of the royal audience issued their joint
proclamation, ordering, in the name of the king, all the inhabitants of
Cuzco, and the other cities of Peru, to recognize and submit to Blasco
Nunnez as viceroy, and to repair with their arms and horses to Lima to
offer their services. Most of these proclamations were lost by the way;
but that which was sent to La Plata was more fortunate, and, by virtue of
its authority, Luis de Ribera, Antonio Alvarez, and the other magistrates
and officers of that city, proclaimed Blasco Nunnez with much ceremony and
great rejoicings: And, in testimony of their submission to his authority,
they equipped twenty-five horsemen, being all the city could spare, who
were sent to join the viceroy under the command of Captain Luis de Ribera.
Lest Gonzalo might cut off their passage and arrest them on their march,
Ribera made his way towards Lima by a desert and unfrequented road.
Some even of the inhabitants of Cuzco got copies of the proclamation, in
consequence of which several of them repaired secretly to Lima to offer
their services to the viceroy, as will be more particularly specified in
the sequel. By their means the viceroy became acquainted with the
transactions at Cuzco, on which account he found himself under the
necessity of using every effort to increase his forces by means of
additional levies; for which purpose he fortunately possessed ample funds,
as Vaca de Castro had embarked upwards of 100,000 crowns which he had
drawn from Cuzco to transmit to the king, which the viceroy took
possession of and employed for the equipment and pay of his troops. He
appointed Don Alfonso de Montemayor and Diego Alvarez de Cuero, who was
his own brother-in-law, captains of horse; Martin de Robles and Paul de
Menezes captains of foot; and Gonzalo Diaz de Pignera captain of
musqueteers. Vela Nunnez, his own brother, was made captain-general of the
troops. Diego de Urbina maestre de campo, or major general, and Juan de
Aguire serjeant-major, or adjutant general. Without including the citizens,
his army amounted to 600 men; of whom 100 were cavalry, 200 musqueteers,
and the remaining 300 armed with pikes. On purpose to arm these soldiers,
he caused a considerable number of musquets to be made, some of which were
of iron, and others of cast metal, which he procured by melting down some
of the bells belonging to the great church.
Besides frequently exercising his troops to perfect them in their
discipline, he occasionally caused false alarms to be given that he might
ascertain their disposition towards him, as it was much suspected that the
majority were by no means hearty in the cause. Having some suspicion of
Vaca de Castro, the former governor, whom he had lately allowed to be a
prisoner at large on parole not to leave the city, and believing that he
had some secret intelligence with his former friends and dependents, the
viceroy ordered a false alarm one day about noon, reporting that Gonzalo
was near at hand; and when the troops were all assembled in the great
square, he sent his brother-in-law, Diego Alvarez de Cueto to arrest Vaca
de Castro.
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