So public had the measures of the conspirators become in the city of Lima, that several persons gave notice of their intentions to the marquis, and advised him to employ a guard for the protection of his person:  But he always said that the lives of others would guard him from violence, and that he was resolved to give no cause for suspecting that he used precautions of defence against the judge whom his majesty was sending to Peru.  On one occasion, Juan de Herrada complained to the marquis of a report that he meant to put all the friends of Almagro to death.  The marquis assured him that the report was entirely groundless; and when Herrada mentioned that the marquis was collecting a great number of lances and other arms, as a confirmation of the report that these were intended against the Almagrians, the marquis replied in the gentlest terms, that these arms were by no means intended to be used against him or his friends.  He even presented Herrada with several oranges which he pluckt for him, which were then esteemed a high delicacy, as they were the first that were grown in Peru; and told him privately, that if he were in want of anything, he had only to give him notice, and he might depend on being provided for.  Herrada kissed his hands, and thanked him for his kindness, going away delighted with the assurance that the marquis seemed to have no suspicion whatever of the conspiracy.

On arriving at his house, where the principal conspirators waited for him, it was determined to kill the marquis on the following Sunday, as they had not been able to put their design into execution on the festival of St John[1] as they at first intended.  On the Saturday immediately preceding, one of the conspirators revealed the circumstances of the plot in confession to the curate of the great church of Lima.  The curate went that same evening to communicate the intelligence to Antonio Picado, secretary to the marquis, who immediately carried the curate to Francisco Martinez de Alcantara, the marquises brother[2], where the marquis then was at supper together with his children[3].  On being informed of the urgent business on which they came, the marquis rose from table and retired to another room, where the curate informed him of every thing he had learnt respecting the conspiracy.  The marquis was at first considerably agitated by his intelligence:  but after a moments reflection, he said that he could not credit the story, as Herrada had been with him only a few days before, and had conversed with him with much humility; for which reason he was convinced that the man who now brought this intelligence had some secret end to serve, and had invented this story to assume merit.  He sent however, for his lieutenant, the doctor Juan Velasquez[4] meaning to consult with him; but as Velasquez was ill in bed, the marquis went to his house, and told him all that he had heard.  Velaquez used every argument to convince him that the story was false, and that he