_In which what happened is concluded down to the time when the
Marquis Pizarro was murdered by the men of Chile._
All those I have mentioned being assembled in the quarters of
Don Diego, Juan de Herrada said: "Look ye, Sirs! that if we show
determination and contrive to kill the Marquis, we avenge the death
of the Adelantado and secure the reward that our services done to
the King in this land merit, and if we do not go forward with our
intention, our heads will be set on the gallows which stand in the
_plaza_. But let each one choose the course he prefers in this
business." They all answered in conformity with his wishes, and so
they all went forth from the place where they were assembled, armed
with coats of mail, breast-plates, halberds, two cross-bows, and one
arquebus, shouting in loud voices: "Long live the King! Death to
tyrants!" García de Alvarado, with those I have mentioned, went out
by another street on horseback to support them. Those of Chile took
their way to the house of the Marquis along the city streets towards
the _plaza_. Only nineteen in number they passed through more than a
thousand people, and although these heard the shouts of the murderers,
by some secret judgment of God, they did not interfere. They
merely said, "Oh, they go to murder either the Marquis or Picado."
The conspirators reached the _plaza_ still shouting, "Long live the
King! Death to tyrants!" Sometimes the name of Almagro was heard. So,
without opposition, they came to the house of the Marquis. It was
strong, and to reach the apartments where he was, it was necessary to
cross two court-yards. In one there were narrow doorways, with doors
so strong that if one man shot the bolts, it would take more than two
hundred to force them. Besides these there was another door where the
Marquis was, which persons in his company could easily defend against
any who might come to assail him. But no attention was paid to these
things and there were no precautions taken.
[Illustration: PLAN OF A PART OF THE
CITY OF LIMA
THE PLAN OF LIMA
The seat of Pizarro's government was first at Jauja, in the mountains;
but this being found inconvenient it was removed to the coast plains,
where Lima still stands, and a scheme for laying out the city in
square allotments was adopted. It provided for 117 such squares, known
as _manzanas_, each side or _cuadra_ of which measured 147 _varas_ or
Spanish yards, or, according to Cobo, 450 _pies_ or Spanish feet. The
roadway between each square and the next was 40 _pies_ in width. The
_Plaza mayor_ with its adjoining roadway was left vacant, for public
use; and Cieza tells us that a gibbet was erected in the middle of
it. Every _manzana_ was subdivided into four equal portions called
_solares_, or sites; and the central group of these was allotted or
taken up when the city was founded, in 1535, in the manner stated
hereunder (_cf._ the Plan opposite, and _vide_ the Introduction, pp.
xxxviii-xxxix).
1, 2, 3, 4, the Marqués Pizarro.
5, 7, Alonso Riquelme.
8, Antonio Ricado.
9, 10, García de Salcedo.
11, the church.
12, the parish priest.
13, Diego de Agüero.
15, Juan de Barbarán.
16, Pedro Navarro.
17, Hernán Ponce.
18, 20, Fr^{co}. de Godoy.
19, Juan Díaz Melgar.
21, Martín Pizarro.
22, N. de Ribera (_el viejo_).
23, Roscan.
24, N. de Ribera (_el mozo_).
25, 26, Hernando Pizarro.
27, Juan de Barrios.
28, Rod^{go}. de Mazuelas.
30, Ger^{mo}. de Aliaga.
32, Martín de Alcántara.
N.B.--The Plan is copied from an eighteenth century MS. in the British
Museum, but shows the allotments concerned, around the _Plaza mayor_,
exactly as they were when the city was founded.
Hakluyt Society: Series II, vol. 42]
In the court-yard were the _Mayor-domo_ Lozano, one Antonio Navarro,
and his servant named Hurtado. In the _sala_, accompanying the
Marquis, with only cloaks and swords, there were[61]--
_Francisco Martín de Alcántara._[62]
_Capt. Francisco de Chaves._[62]
D. Garci Diez [_sic_], Bishop of Quito.[63]
The Marquis's lieut. Dr. Juan Blázquez.[63]
The overseer García de Salcedo.[63]
Luis de Rivera.[63]
_Juan Ortíz de Zárate._[62]
Alonso de Manjarrés.[63]
_D. Gómez de Luna._[62]
The secretary Pedro López de Cáceres.[63]
Francisco de Ampuero.[63]
Rodrigo Pantoja.[63]
Diego Ortíz de Guzmán.[63]
Capt^n. Juan Pérez.[63]
Alonso Pérez de Esquivel.[63]
Hernán Núñez de Segura.[63]
Juan Enríquez (the elder).[63]
_Gonzalo Hernández de la Torre._[62]
Juan Bautista Mallero.[63]
Hernán González.[63]
[_Francisco de Vergara._]
besides several servants of the Marquis and of others. The Marquis
was conversing with the Bishop of Quito, when his page Diego de
Vargas, son of Gómez de Tordoya, being at the street door, saw the
murderers coming across the _plaza_, and rushed into the room in great
perturbation, crying "Arm! Arm! for all the men of Chile are coming to
murder the Marquis my master." This alarmed the Marquis and those who
were with him. They went down to the first landing on the staircase
to see what was happening. At the same moment the men of Chile
entered the second court-yard shouting, "Long live the King! Death to
tyrants." Jerónimo de Almagro wounded Hurtado badly. The _Mayor-domo_
gallantly opposed them, but being alone his valour availed little;
but, through the intercession of Diego Méndez he was not killed. Those
who were with the Marquis retreated into the _sala_; most of them
showing great cowardice and taking to flight in a dastardly way. The
Doctor, with his wand of office, got out through a window, and dropped
into the garden. The overseer García de Salcedo did the same. Others
were in such fear and trembling that it seemed as if the men of Chile
had thrust their swords into them. Some sought refuge between the beds
or under the furniture.
The Marquis, his brother Francisco Martín, Gómez de Luna, and the two
pages Vargas and Cardona went into an inner chamber to arm themselves.
Francisco de Chaves, Diego Ortíz de Guzmán, Juan Ortíz, Pedro López de
Cazalla, and Bartolomé de Vergara, and a few others who stood their
ground, remained in the _sala_ much alarmed and not knowing what to
do. The Marquis, with a brave spirit, throwing off a long purple robe
he was wearing, went into his dressing room, put on a breast-plate or
two, and taking up the broad-sword he had used in his expeditions, he
drew it out of its sheath, exclaiming, "Come along, my good sword,
companion of my labours!" They had closed the door of the _sala_,
but the men of Chile came up the stairs. Juan de Herrada, being in
front, exclaimed: "Oh joyful and happy day! Let all men know that
Almagro was worthy to have such friends, since they know so well how
to avenge his death on the cruel tyrant who caused it." Don Francisco
de Chaves came forward from where he had been standing with the
Bishop, and called for the door to be opened. Though they said that
it was better to keep it shut, because if it was defended for a short
time help would be sure to come, he was not satisfied; and ordered it
to be opened. It was opened, and Don Francisco de Chaves met Juan de
Herrada and the others face to face. With much humility and without a
sign of resistance, not even putting his hand on his sword hilt, he
said: "Sirs! what is this? You cannot feel the same anger toward me as
you do towards the Marquis, for I was always a friend." Those in front
answered not a word, but, Juan de Herrada turning his head to those
who were behind, Arbolancha gave Chaves a mortal thrust. He instantly
fell in a death struggle, and his body went rolling down the stairs
into the court-yard. The men of Chile then rushed into the _sala_,
shouting, "Where is the tyrant?" "Where is he?" Martín de Bilbao came
to the door of the room where the Marquis was arming, and Juan Ortíz
de Zárate gave him one or two wounds with a halberd. Juan Ortíz was
also badly wounded.
[Illustration: PLAN OF THE
MARQUIS PIZARRO'S HOUSE AT LIMA
(_Approximate_)
Hakluyt Society: Series II, vol. 42]
Some would have it that this Juan Ortíz de Zárate warned the men
of Chile that the Doctor intended to arrest them, by order of the
Marquis, and other things were popularly reported which I was unable
to find any proof of, so that from what did happen one gathers that
they were lies.
Francisco Martín de Alcántara was at the door of the inner room with
his sword drawn, and when he saw that the Chileans had reached the
second door, he went back into the inner room where his brother the
Marquis was, to help him and die with him. The men of Chile shouted
loudly, saying: "Death to the tyrant while there is time, before help
can come!" The Marquis said: "What disgraceful thing is this? Why do
you wish to kill me?" They, calling him "traitor," fought to get into
the room, and murder him.
The aged Governor had not lost the valour which fame ascribed to him,
nor had the gallantry which adorned his person been lessened in the
slightest degree. So spirited and strong of heart did he show himself
that I believe, if he had been on an open space, he would have taken
vengeance unaided sooner than die at the hands of his enemies. When
the Chileans saw that they could not get in, they called out for
lances with which they might kill him from outside. His two young
pages were with the Marquis, one named Vargas, the other Cardona, and
with their swords drawn they placed themselves one on each side of
their master.[64] The murderers, finding that they could not get to
close quarters and that they were losing time, resorted to a cunning
artifice. This was to hurl one of themselves against the Marquis, so
that, being thus embarrassed, they might be able to dash in. One of
them, named Narváez, was violently shoved from behind and thus forced
inside, and the Marquis dealt him such wounds that he died from them.
Those of Chile were thus able to enter with a rush, and Martín de
Bilbao, with others, delivered blows on that Captain who had never
tired of discovering kingdoms and conquering provinces, and who had
grown old in the Royal service. They would never have triumphed over
the Marquis, nor over his brother, if Francisco Martín had made good
his efforts in proportion to the valour he displayed. At length, after
having received many wounds, without a sign of weakness or abatement
of his brave spirit, the Marquis fell dead upon the ground.[65] He
expired, calling upon Christ our Lord. The body of this generous
leader, honoured by having been that of so famous a Spaniard as he
was, remained lifeless on the floor. His death took place at eleven in
the forenoon on the 26th of June in the year of our redemption 1541.
He governed, himself or by his lieutenants, from the town of Plata
to the city of Cartago, which is 900 leagues and more. The Marquis
was not married. He had, by ladies of this Realm, three sons and one
daughter.[66] His age was sixty-three years and two months. A sign was
beheld in heaven before he died. This was that the moon, being full
and bright, presently seemed on fire, and changed colour, one half of
it becoming blood-red, and the other half black. Then there was seen
to dart from it certain shimmerings also the colour of blood. Many saw
this just as I have related it.
Beside the Marquis there were killed his half-brother Francisco Martín
de Alcántara, his two pages Vargas and Cardona; while Gómez de Luna,
Gonzalo Hernández de la Torre, Francisco de Vergara, and Hurtado were
badly wounded.[67]
FOOTNOTES:
[61] Come to pay their respects after mass. It was Sunday.
[62] Five good men and true.
[63] Fifteen cowards.
[64] These gallant boys deserve more than a passing notice. Young
Vargas, son of Gómez de Tordoza, and cousin of Garcilaso de la Vega,
was of the noblest blood of Castille. One ancestor rode by the side of
St. Ferdinand at the taking of Seville, another sacrificed his life to
save his king at Aljubarrota, another defeated the gigantic Moor in
the famous duel on the Vega of Granada. The heroic page of Pizarro was
worthy of such ancestry.
Cardona sprung from equally heroic stems. He was connected with the
Córdovas, Dukes of Sesa, the family of the _Gran Capitán_.
[65] Herrera and others tell a story that Juan Rodríguez Barragán hit
the Marquis a blow with a silver jug full of water when he was on the
ground, which killed him. Prescott repeats this in a footnote, calling
Barragán "a soldier named Borregan." Helps writes: "Some base fellow
dashed a jug upon his prostrate face."
Juan Rodriguez Barragán was not a soldier, but one of the lawyers in
Almagro's pay. He was Almagro's procurator at the Judge Arbitrator's
court when he pronounced the sentence at Mala, and Barragán raised a
protest. His son was certainly one of the murderers, but the story of
the jug is probably an invention. The son was hanged after the battle
of Chupas. The word _barragán_ means a youth, same as _mancebo_.
Originally from Navarre, a branch of the family settled at Baeza in
Andalusia, whose arms were _or, a tree vert, at its stem a dead knight
and two ravens sable, wings raised_.
[66] The Marquis Pizarro had by the Princess Inez Huayllas, daughter
of the great Inca Huayna Capac, two children, who are mentioned in
his will as legitimate, Gonzalo, who died in the flower of his youth,
and Francisca, who went to Spain, years after her father's death, in
charge of her step-father Don Francisco de Ampuero. She was married
to her uncle, Hernando, when he was still a prisoner at Medina del
Campo. By him she had three sons and a daughter. Hernando Pizarro
was released after twenty-three years of captivity, and lived for
nineteen years afterwards in his native town of Truxillo. His great
grandson[68] was created Marquis of the Conquest. The Marquis Pizarro
also had a son named Francisco, by the Princess Anas (Angelina),
sister of Atahualpa, who was a school-fellow of the Inca Garcilaso de
la Vega at Cuzco. He died young and unmarried.
[67] Cieza de León omits Juan Ortíz de Zárate who defended the door
at first, and was badly wounded, as he had just related. Torre and
Vergara were much alarmed, but had remained in the sala. Hurtado was
the servant wounded in the court-yard.
[68]
+-------------------+
| |
| Don Francisco, Marqués Pizarro
| |
Hernando Pizarro==Francisca
|
Francisco==Francisca Giron
|
+-----------+
|
Juan==María de Bobadilla
|
+-------------+------+
| |
Francisca Pizarro Fernando Pizarro, 1st Marqués de la Conquista.