At this time three of the judges of the court of audience, Cepeda Alvarez and Texada, arrived at Lima, leaving Ortiz, the other judge, sick at Truxillo.  The viceroy issued immediate orders for the inauguration of the royal Court of Audience; for which purpose all the necessary preparations were made for the solemn reception of the royal seal, as usual on the first establishment of this high tribunal.  The seal was placed in a rich casket, carried by a horse superbly caparisoned and covered by housings of cloth of gold, and led under a canopy of the same splendid materials, held up by the magistrates of the city dressed in flowing robes of crimson velvet, in the same ceremony as is used in Spain on the entry of the king in person into any of the cities.  On this occasion, Juan de Leon led the horse, being appointed to officiate as chancellor, in the place of the Marquis de Camarasa, president of Cazorla, who then held the seals in Spain.  After this procession, the court of audience was installed, and proceeded immediately to business; but a subject of dispute soon arose between the viceroy and the judges, which renewed the dissentions which had arisen between them even before their arrival in Peru, the explanation of which requires some detail.

When the viceroy arrived at the Tambo or palace of Guavra[4], where he waited till he was sure of being received at Lima, he found written on one of the walls of the tambo to the following effect:  “Whoever may endeavour to deprive me of my house and property, I shall endeavour to deprive of life.”  He dissimulated his displeasure at these words for some time; but being afterwards persuaded that these words had been written by Antonio de Solar, to whom the district of Guavra belonged, and who he believed was not well inclined towards him, because he had found the tambo entirely deserted on his arrival, he sent for Solar a few days after his reception at Lima.  In a private conference, he spoke to Solar concerning these words which he had seen on the walls of the tambo, and reproached him likewise for having spoken to him personally with much insolence:  Then, ordering the gates of the palace to be shut, the viceroy sent for one of his chaplains to confess Solar, declaring his resolution to have him immediately hanged from one of the pillars of a gallery fronting the great square of Lima.  Solar refused to confess himself, and the dispute continued so long that news of what was going forwards spread over the city, on which the archbishop and some other persons of quality came to the palace and humbly requested the viceroy to defer the execution.  At first he obstinately persisted in his intention; but at last consented to postpone the execution till next day, and sent Solar to prison loaded with fetters.  On the morrow, the anger of the viceroy was somewhat appeased, so that he did not renew his orders for hanging Solar, but detained him for two months in prison and in irons, without any information or process respecting his crime.