CHAPTER XXXI

_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.

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.

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.