unfortunate secretary, became clamorous for the blood of Escovedo. At
the same time, that personage, soon after his return to Spain, was
shocked by the discovery of the amour of Perez with the Princess Eboli.
He considered it his duty, both towards the deceased Prince and the
living King, to protest against this perfidy. He threatened to denounce
to the King, who seemed the only person about the court ignorant of the
affair, this double treason of his mistress and his minister. Perez and
Anna of Eboli, furious at Escovedo's insolence, and anxious lest he
should execute his menace determined to disembarrass themselves of so
meddlesome a person. Philip's rage against Don John was accordingly
turned to account, and Perez received the King's secret orders to procure
Escovedo's assassination. Thus an imaginary conspiracy of Don John
against, the crown of Philip was the pretext, the fears and rage of Eboli
and her paramour were the substantial reason, for the crime now
projected.

The details of the murder were arranged and executed by Perez, but it
must be confessed in justice to Philip, with much inferior nicety to that
of his, own performances in the same field. Many persons were privy to
the plot. There was much blundering, there was great public scandal in
Madrid, and no one ever had a reasonable doubt as to the instigators and
the actual perpetrators of the crime. Two attempts to poison Escovedo
were made by Perez, at his own table, through the agency of Antonio
Enriquez, a confidential servant or page. Both were unsuccessful.
A third was equally so, but suspicions were aroused. A female slave in
the household of Escovedo, was in consequence arrested, and immediately
hanged in the public square, for a pretended attempt to murder her
master. A few days afterwards (on the 31st of March, 1578) the deed was
accomplished at nightfall in the streets of Madrid, by six conspirators.
They consisted of the majordomo of Perez, a page in his household, the