But By The Earnest Exhortations Of Yllan
Suarez, _Alcalde_ Or Judge Of Police And Royal Commissary Of Lima, They
Came At Length To The Resolution Of Receiving The Viceroy, And Even To
Admit The Regulations, Which Were Published With Much Solemnity.
Upon this
all the magistrates principal inhabitants of the city, went to Huaura to
welcome the viceroy and to pay him their respectful compliments.
From
Huaura he was accompanied by the whole cavalcade to Lima, where he was
received with great pomp and magnificence, making his entry under a canopy
of cloth of gold. All the magistrates walked in procession, carrying the
ensigns of their office, and dressed in long robes of crimson satin turned
up with white damask. In this grand stile the viceroy was conducted in the
first place to church, and thence to his palace.
Next day as the viceroy had received information of the discontents and
seditious conduct of the persons who had retired to Cuzco, he ordered Vaca
de Castro to be arrested and thrown into the common prison, as he
suspected that he had fomented these seditious practices, and that he had
even been their secret adviser to that step. Although the inhabitants of
Lima were by no means perfectly satisfied with the conduct of Vaca de
Castro, they yet humbly petitioned the viceroy, not to allow a person of
such high rank, who was a member of the royal council and had been
governor of the country, to be thrown into the common prison; as, even if
he merited the punishment of death, and were to be beheaded next day, he
ought to be more honourably dealt with. The viceroy was softened by these
remonstrances, and ordered Vaca de Castro to be placed under arrest in the
palace, taking a bail bond from the burgesses for his safe custody under a
heavy penalty; and besides, he placed all the effects of the late governor
under sequestration. The inhabitants of Lima were extremely discontented
by the harsh conduct of the viceroy, holding frequent secret conferences
among themselves, and a considerable number of them withdrew gradually
from the city, repairing to Cuzco, at which place toe viceroy was not
acknowledged.
At this time Gonzalo Pizarro dwelt at Chuquisaca de la Plata, in the
province of las Charcas, employed in the arrangement of the estate which
had been conferred upon him by his brother the marquis, where ten or
twelve of his most intimate friends resided along with him. On learning
the arrival of the viceroy, the causes of his mission, and the regulations
which he had brought out for the government of the colony, and which he
rigorously enforced, Gonzalo took the resolution of going to Cuzco, under
pretence of inquiring after news from Spain, and to regulate the affairs
belonging to his brother Ferdinand, according to the instructions he had
received on that subject. While employed in collecting money for his
journey, he received letters from all parts of Peru, written both by
private persons and the magistrates of the cities and towns, endeavouring
to persuade him to stand forwards in defence of the common interests on
the present emergency, by protesting against the execution of the royal
ordinances, and demanding either that their execution should be delayed,
or that some other remedy should be interposed to prevent universal ruin
among the colonists.
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