De Chaves Was
So Much Confused, That Instead Of Fastening The Doors He Went Out To The
Staircase Demanding The Reason Of The Noise; On Which One Of The
Conspirators Wounded Him.
"This, said he, is not the usage of a friend,"
and immediately drew his sword, but was soon overpowered and slain.
The
conspirators immediately rushed into the hall, whence ten or twelve
Spaniards who were there made their escape by the windows: Among these was
Velasquez, who, as has been already mentioned, took his rod of office in
his mouth, that he might use his hands the more readily in making his
escape by the window. The marquis was at this time in his chamber,
employed in arming himself, attended by his brother de Alcantara, two
other gentlemen, and two pages. Seeing his enemies so near, the marquis
was unable to fasten the clasps of his cuirass, but advanced courageously
with his sword and buckler to defend the entry to the chamber, in which he
was bravely assisted by those who were along with him. He defended himself
for a considerable time successfully, encouraging his brother and the rest
by his voice and example. At length the Almagrians slew de Alcantara, on
which one of the pages took his place beside the marquis. The Almagrians,
being afraid lest succour might arrive, resolved to make a desperate
effort, for which purpose one of the best armed among them forced in at
the door and made room for the rest to enter, who now attacked the marquis
and his faithful companions with such fury that he was soon exhausted with
fatigue and hardly able to handle his arms. At length the marquis received
a mortal thrust in his throat, and falling to the ground called out in a
loud voice for a confessor. Soon losing all power of speech, he made the
sign of the cross on the floor with his finger, which he kissed and
expired. Besides his brother, the two pages were likewise slain. Of the
Almagrians, four were killed, and several of the rest wounded.
When the marquises death was made known, above two hundred men who waited
the event, declared themselves loudly in favour of Don Diego, and went
about the city arresting and disarming all who seemed to favour the party
of the marquis. The conspirators went out into the street waving their
bloody swords, and Herrada made Don Diego ride on horseback through the
city of Lima, proclaiming him as governor of Peru. The palace of the
marquis, and the houses of Alcantara and Picado the secretary were
pillaged, Herrada assembled the cabildo of the city, and obliged them to
acknowledge Don Diego as governor, under pretence that the elder Almagro
had been appointed by his majesty to the government of New Toledo, with
succession to his son or to any person he might appoint as his successor.
The conspirators likewise put to death several persons who were
particularly attached to the late marquis, and gave up their houses to be
plundered by their own partizans.
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