Captains concur.
50. The decision of the captains was that, although the Viceroy might depart, the Judges ought to remain, maintaining the country in the name of His Majesty.
Wild conduct of the Viceroy. Taken to Cepeda’s house.
51. Nevertheless the Viceroy resolved to take the royal seal, the Judges and officials with all their property, and that of many citizens with their wives, children, horses, farriery, &c. In the night of Tuesday the 16th of September the soldiers assembled under Vela Nuñez, and at dawn of the 17th there was a call to arms at the Viceroy’s door with the cry, “Sack! Sack!” The Judges wished to stop the sacking of the town, and came to the Viceroy’s door with three banners. They did not dare to go in to speak with him, because they had been told that he would kill them. But they sent the choir master with some monks and clergymen to entreat him not to insist on the destruction of the city and kingdom, but to embark if he desired to do so, and to leave the citizens with their property. He would not condescend to talk with them, but many of the citizens had taken up arms and wished to oppose the Viceroy and his soldiers. If it had not been for the Judges who ordered, on pain of death, that no one should injure the person of the Viceroy, he would have been killed. He took refuge in the house of the Licentiate Cepeda, where he was quite safe from the citizens, and the soldiers who hated him.
Judges’ version of the Viceroy’s departure.
52. The Viceroy was well served and attended all the time that he was in Cepeda’s house. Of his own accord he said that he was hated, and that he wanted to go to Spain. By his order they took him to embark. Those who had command of the ships did not wish to receive him, and there were mutinies on board six or seven that were in the port. Two were burnt and two others were sent to the bottom by Geronimo de Zurbano, Martin de Arauco, and Diego Alvarez de Cueto, the Viceroy’s brother-in-law, or by their order. They did this to rob all that was on board the ships, of a value of more than 130,000 castellanos. The ships were in charge of Alvarez de Cueto, and it is believed that all this was done with the consent of the Viceroy.
Judges’ version.
53. At the time when the Judges came out of the house of Maria de Escobar, where they met that morning from fear of the Viceroy, the Licentiate Alvarez said: “Be my witnesses that we go to entreat the Viceroy not to kill us, take us, nor force us to embark, and to tell him that the people have risen against him. We go neither to enrage him nor to injure him and let it be punishment of death for any who acts otherwise.” He repeated this at the corner of the street, and on the steps of the church.
Judges claim to have saved the Viceroy.
54. Without doubt the people would have killed the Viceroy, if the Judges had not intervened.