372] ANNUAL REGISTER, | 1706. 
weak understanding, gave ear to 
their calumny, and they worked’ 
upon his passions to that degree that 
he resolved to murder the unfortu- 
nate, princess. Accordingly he 
set, out to perpetrate the horrid 
deed, accompanied by three of his 
courtiers, and a number of armed 
men. 
- Denna Ignez at this time resided 
in Coimbra, in the palace of San. 
ta Clara, where she passed her time 
in the most private manner, edu- 
cating her children, and attending 
to the duties of her domestic af- 
fairs. 
The prince, unfortunately, was 
abroad on a hunting party. when 
the king arrived. ‘The beautiful 
victim came out to meet him, with 
her two infant children, who clung 
about his knees, screaming aloud 
for mercy. She prostrates herself 
at his feet, bathes them with tears, 
and supplicates pity for her chil- 
dren, beseeching him to banish her 
to some remote desert, where she 
would gladly wander an exile with 
her babes, 
The feelings of nature arrested 
his arm, just raised to plunge a 
dagger into her breast. But his 
counsellors urging the necessity of 
her death, and reproaching him for 
his disregard to the welfare of the 
nation, he relapsed into his former 
resolution, and commanded them 
to dispatch her! at which they 
rushed forward, regardless of the 
cries of innocence and beauty, and 
instantly struck off her head. 
Soon after the above transa¢tion 
the prince arrived; but, alas! 
found those eyes that were wont 
to watch his return with impa- 
tience, ciosed in death, _ ‘Fhe sight 
of his beloved Ignez weltering in 
gore filled hit rand vith distrac. 
tion, and kindled. every ‘spark of 
reyenge within his soul. In all 
the agony of rage, he called aloud 
on the avenging hand of Heaven 
to punish those monsters, who de- 
prived him of all he held dear upon 
earth, 
As soon as her remains were in. 
terred, he put himself at the head 
of an army, who sympathized with 
his distress; they carried fire and 
sword through the adjacent pro- 
vinces, and laid waste the estates 
of the murderers. The royal 
troops could not oppose them; they 
fled at the appearance of the gal- 
Jant avengers of innocence. But 
the king, wretched man! could 
not fly from himself; the cries of 
his grand.children still echoed in 
his ears, and the bleeding image of 
their unfortunate mother was con- 
stantly before his eyes. Death at 
length commiserated his situation, 
and he expired full of repentance 
for his accumulated crimes. He 
was an undutiful son, an unnatural 
brother, and a cruel father. 
The prince now ascended the 
throne, in the thirty.seventh year 
of his age. He no sooner obtained 
the power, than he meditared to 
revenge the death of his beloved 
Ignez. The three murderers ; 
namely, Pedro Cocllo, Diogo Lo. 
pez Pacheo,and Alvaro Gonsalvez, 
had fled into Castile, previous to 
the death of the late king. The 
prince ordered them to be tried on 
a charge of high treason, and be- 
ing found guilty, their estates were 
confiscated. | Next he contrived to 
seize their persons, by agrecing 
with the king of Castile, that both 
should reciprocally deliver up the 
Portuguese and Castilian fugitives 
who sought protection in their 
respective dominions. Gonsalvez 
; and 
