_How Don Diego de Almagro ordered the secretary Antonio Picado
to be tortured, believing that he would then admit that the
Marquis owned some treasure; and how retribution was dealt to
him._
I have already recounted how Don Diego de Almagro had got the
secretary Antonio Picado into his power. Often Don Diego on his own
part, and Juan de Herrada on his, admonished him that if he knew
where the Marquis had buried his treasure, which they believed to be
great, he must tell them. For one might believe that if any friend of
the Marquis knew the place, it must be his secretary. Antonio Picado
answered that if the Marquis had any treasure, he could affirm that
he did not know where it was. Though he made these excuses, he was
not believed; as they were hostile to Picado for his former conduct,
Juan de Herrada told him, in a great rage, that if he chose not to say
where it was, let him know that they would kill him. He answered as
we have said, affirming it with great oaths. When Almagro and Juan de
Herrada saw that Picado would not tell them where the Marquis kept his
treasure, they ordered the torture to be prepared for him. This was
immediately done, and they put him to great torments. As the unhappy
wretch knew not what to say, he made loud outcries, begging for death
rather than be kept in such agony. Juan de Herrada said that he must
tell them where the Marquis kept his silver and gold, and then they
would do him no more hurt. The afflicted and oppressed Picado then
answered that they should see if Hurtado, the servant of the Marquis,
knew about it. That night they sent to arrest Hurtado, and said the
same to him as to Picado, that they would kill him if he did not tell
them where the treasure was. Hurtado answered that the Marquis had no
gold nor silver beyond what was found in his room, and that if _he_
had it or knew where it was, he would tell them. Not believing his
excuses they stripped him and put him on the rack, ready for torture.
Juan de Herrada, because he had been his friend, or some other motive,
did not consent that Hurtado should be tortured, but let him return to
his house. After they had inflicted more dreadful tortures on Picado,
seeing that they could get nothing out of him, they agreed to kill
him, and on the eve of the festival of St. Jerome they sent to tell
him to confess, for he must know that he only had that one day to
live. Picado, feeling the approach of death, preferred it to further
torments. He confessed with much contrition, and was married that
night to his sweetheart Ana Suárez.
Next day, in the morning, they took him out of the prison on a mule
without a saddle. He held a crucifix in his hands and, passing along
the usual streets, he asked pardon of all. The contemplation of his
downfall must make us feel how vain is the life of this world, and how
the desire to accumulate riches and increase in honours or dignity
consumes itself. Such must be the thoughts of those who saw Picado so
sprightly, so richly attired, so wealthy, so trusted by the Governor,
and possessing such absolute command! See him now! All his prosperity
gone, he receives a public death, after having been tortured into
the bargain. Since God shows himself so true in his judgment, it was
His pleasure that Picado should meet this fate because he had never
advised the Marquis rightly or as he should. One of the principal
reasons why the governors of these Realms have come to such bad ends
is that they trusted to ignorant, astute, and designing servants, more
concerned to acquire wealth and show favour to their friends than to
give their masters good advice and counsel as their duty points. Let
those now living, therefore, and those who may have to govern in the
future, employ honest subordinates whom they know to be given to no
noteworthy fault; and let them be sure about it, for, if otherwise,
they will follow the same road as the rest. After the crier had
proclaimed the reason of his death, Picado's head was cut off, and he
was buried in the church of our Lady of Mercy.
Don Diego, by advice of his captains, ordered Don Alonso de Montemayor
to go to the cities of Guamanga and Cuzco to collect men, and arm them
against any need that might arise.
News reached Lima that the Captain Alonso de Alvarado, on receiving
tidings of the death of the Marquis, had assembled the forces that
were with him and with Pedro Barroso at Guanuco, and those with Juan
Pérez de Guevara at Moyobamba, and that he felt himself strong enough,
with their support, to raise the banner of the King pending Vaca de
Castro's entry into the Realm. This news caused great consternation,
although Juan de Herrada, Cristóbal de Sotelo, and the other leaders
of the Chile party, did not wish to have encounters or battles, nor to
do more, if his Majesty would not pardon the murder of the Marquis,
than retire into the interior of Chile. There were among them, indeed,
gentlemen of such determination, and soldiers of such mettle, that if
envy among them had not gnawed into their entrails, with the desire to
excel each other even unto death, they might have prevailed--outside
the Realm. But within the same, holding it as they did by tyranny,
they could not have avoided the punishment which God and the world
are wont to mete out to those who usurp such a position, and commit
similar atrocities.
Well, soon after Captain García de Alvarado had returned from the
cities of Truxillo and San Miguel, a soldier who was much favoured
by Francisco de Chaves had taken an Indian girl from another soldier
who was very friendly with Captain Cristóbal de Sotelo, who, as we
have written, was Governor's Lieutenant in Lima. As Sotelo was very
punctilious in affairs that concerned his honour, and anxious not to
condone any injury, and the said soldier, moreover, was personally
known to him, he sent to ask Captain Francisco de Chaves very civilly
that, the soldier having taken the girl from him to whom she belonged
with Chaves' assent, he would order her to be restored; since no other
course would be seemly. Francisco de Chaves, with much arrogance and
little courtesy, abused the man who was sent with the request, saying
that it was not his pleasure that the soldier who had taken the girl
should return her, for that she was his, and that a constable had
better not be sent, because he would be ill-treated and would not
get what he came for. Sotelo was wise, and recognized the evils that
might arise from misunderstandings among the captains. Tempering his
anger with the prudence of his character, he sent a second time to
request that the girl might be returned to him to whom she belonged,
and that if the other maintained that she was his, there should be an
appeal to justice, which would not be denied to the rightful owner.
Francisco de Chaves again answered rudely that the girl should not
be returned by him who had her. Cristóbal de Sotelo was much enraged
that he should be thus set at nought by Francisco de Chaves, and said
that he felt great regret that there should be discord among them
and party quarrels from which great evils must arise. He added that
he was very glad he was not one of the murderers of the Marquis, and
that if he followed Don Diego it was owing to the friendship he had
for his father, which would not make him fail to obey the commands
of his Majesty. After saying this he declared further that Francisco
de Chaves must not think, that because with him was the courtesy and
with Chaves the lack of it, he would come out of it in spite of Don
Cristóbal. Saying this before five or six of his friends, he went
forth to Chaves' quarters to take away the girl, and Chaves' life, if
he should defend it, or else, in testimony of his sense of right, to
lose his own.
Oh misery! what is this that you do? Oh tyranny! what evils do you
bring in your train? And you, oh captains of my nation! What moves
you to bore and slash each other's entrails with the sharp poniard,
or cutting sword? How I lament and deeply deplore that distinguished
Spaniards should die for such sordid causes. Through whatever nation
or region you might travel it should be said that you justly merit
having been born on the banks of the Ebro. And only for others'
advantage have you been thus ill advised. For without having fully
discovered the secrets of the land, nor having made the barbarians to
understand the service required from them, you raise wars in which
most of yourselves are killed in evidence of your own folly, that new
comers may triumph by your conquests and settlements, in which they
have taken no part.
But to return to our narrative. On Cristóbal de Sotelo starting to
go to the house of Francisco de Chaves, one of those present went to
Juan de Herrada, to tell him, so that he might personally intervene
and settle the quarrel; and prevent those captains from killing each
other over an Indian girl. When Juan de Herrada heard this, he went to
prevent what was thought might happen. He called Cristóbal and said
that he did not wish him to go forward, for it was not consistent
with his dignity that an Indian girl should move him to go against
Francisco de Chaves. Sotelo replied that he had already done what was
required of a gentleman in communicating with Chaves, who had not in
any way acknowledged his error, but had abetted the abduction of the
girl, and had even declared that if a constable came to his house he
would only get a drubbing. Juan de Herrada told him to remain at home,
for that he himself would go to the house of Francisco de Chaves for
the girl. On hearing this Sotelo stayed in his house; Juan de Herrada
then went to that of Francisco de Chaves, and demanded the girl, being
very angry. Though it went against the grain, he took her from the
house and out of the keeping of the soldier who had taken her, and
gave her to her first proprietor.