tion concerning encomiericlas: dangerous for Cortés; exceedingly dangerous for Ávila.[1]
Two days afterward the conspirators held a meeting at Ávila's house to perfect their plans. According to the report of the informers it was then arranged that on Friday, the audiencia's government council day, they would divide themselves into groups, each under a determined leader; and that while one band posted themselves at the door of the council-chamber to prevent ingress, another would go into the hall and seize the arms; a third rush into the chamber and slay the oidores and visitador; after which one of their number was to make a sign from the corridor to another standing by the fountain in the court-yard, who in his turn would repeat the signal to a third posted at the outlet into the square; this last person was to wave a red cloak, at the sight of which Ayala de Espinosa would strike twice one of the bells of the cathedral, this being the signal for the conspirators scattered throughout the city to massacre Francisco and Luis de Velasco, and every one known for or suspected of hostility to their plan. The bodies of the oidores were to be thrown into the square, which was to be held by the marquis with as large a force as he
- ↑ Ávila that evening told Espinosa and Aguilar, 'todo era aplicado para lo que estaba concertado,' according to Zamacois, Hist. Méj., 80. Torquemada, i. 629-30, wrongly places this feast later, after the birth of twins to the marquis. He has been followed by Alaman, Disert., ii. 111; Cavo, Tres Siglos, i. 178-9; Mora, Mej. Rev., iii. 208-9, and others. But the proceedings against the conspirators fix the time plainly enough. Peralta, Not. Hist., 205, agrees with Torquemada, but speaks of the birth of one son, Pedro, now christened. He adds that neither Luis de Velasco nor his friends were at the festival, which was something very fine; that on some of the earthen vases was the letter R under a crown; and that Ávila gave the marchioness one bearing a crown over RS which the informer at once interpreted as Reinarás, thou wilt reign. This, if true, would signify prearrangement, which could hardly have been the case. During the feasts Dr Orozco, he concludes, sallied out with a number of followers, carrying concealed arms to prevent a possible revolt. The real fact was that the feast in question was long before the marchioness bore twins, which occurred in 1566, their christening taking place with great pomp on the 30th of June. This was subsequent to the receipt of the supreme government's final decision, unfavorable to the perpetuation of the encomiendas. It is possible that Torquemada and his followers have unwittingly confounded the two feasts, and quite probable that the follies of the first were wholly or partially repeated at the second.
