On This Occasion, Montemayor And Some Others
Of The Almagrian Party, Who Were Not Concerned In The Murder, Remained
With
Vaca de Castro till after the defeat of the younger Almagro in the
battle of Chupas, preferring the service of
Their sovereign, in whose name
and authority de Castro acted, to their individual resentments.
So public had the measures of the conspirators become in the city of Lima,
that several persons gave notice of their intentions to the marquis, and
advised him to employ a guard for the protection of his person: But he
always said that the lives of others would guard him from violence, and
that he was resolved to give no cause for suspecting that he used
precautions of defence against the judge whom his majesty was sending to
Peru. On one occasion, Juan de Herrada complained to the marquis of a
report that he meant to put all the friends of Almagro to death. The
marquis assured him that the report was entirely groundless; and when
Herrada mentioned that the marquis was collecting a great number of lances
and other arms, as a confirmation of the report that these were intended
against the Almagrians, the marquis replied in the gentlest terms, that
these arms were by no means intended to be used against him or his friends.
He even presented Herrada with several oranges which he pluckt for him,
which were then esteemed a high delicacy, as they were the first that were
grown in Peru; and told him privately, that if he were in want of anything,
he had only to give him notice, and he might depend on being provided for.
Herrada kissed his hands, and thanked him for his kindness, going away
delighted with the assurance that the marquis seemed to have no suspicion
whatever of the conspiracy.
On arriving at his house, where the principal conspirators waited for him,
it was determined to kill the marquis on the following Sunday, as they had
not been able to put their design into execution on the festival of St
John[1] as they at first intended. On the Saturday immediately preceding,
one of the conspirators revealed the circumstances of the plot in
confession to the curate of the great church of Lima. The curate went that
same evening to communicate the intelligence to Antonio Picado, secretary
to the marquis, who immediately carried the curate to Francisco Martinez
de Alcantara, the marquises brother[2], where the marquis then was at
supper together with his children[3]. On being informed of the urgent
business on which they came, the marquis rose from table and retired to
another room, where the curate informed him of every thing he had learnt
respecting the conspiracy. The marquis was at first considerably agitated
by his intelligence: but after a moments reflection, he said that he could
not credit the story, as Herrada had been with him only a few days before,
and had conversed with him with much humility; for which reason he was
convinced that the man who now brought this intelligence had some secret
end to serve, and had invented this story to assume merit.
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