come to blockade them, and should occupy the streets leading to the
house of Cepeda, that all those who were disposed to aid them would be
intercepted. They advanced therefore by the streets which led towards
the great square, and were soon joined by others of their adherents, to
the number of about two hundred men. To justify their conduct on this
occasion, they caused the act which they had drawn up to be publickly
read; but so great was the noise and confusion, that very few of those
present were able to hear its tenor. On the arrival of the judges and
their partizans in the great square, day began to dawn. At this time,
the troops attached to the viceroy fired a few musket-shots, from the
corridore of the palace, and began to extend themselves in front of the
main gate. The soldiers who accompanied the oydors were much displeased
at this procedure, and proposed to assault the palace, and to slay all
that resisted them; but the oydors restrained and appeased them. The
oydors then deputed Gaspard de Carvajal, the superior of the Dominicans,
and Antonio de Robles, to inform the viceroy, that their only demand
from him was an assurance that they should not be compelled to embark
against their will and contrary to the express orders of his majesty,
which fixed their residence at Lima. They farther required, that,
without proceeding to hostilities, the viceroy should come to the great
church, where they proposed, going to meet him, and where all their
differences might be amicably settled; as otherwise he would put both
himself and all who were with him in extreme danger. While these envoys
were in the palace in the execution of their commission, the hundred
soldiers who formed the guard of the viceroy went over in a body to the
oydors; by which, as the entrance to the palace was left entirely
unguarded, several of the malecontents got admission to the chambers
belonging to the officers of the viceroy in the outer court, which they
pillaged. At this time, the licentiate Ortiz de Zarate went from his
house towards the palace, meaning to have joined the viceroy; but