154 CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE MARQUES DEL VALLE. 



unwisely made enemies of men in power who were either ridicu- 

 lously suspicious, or eagerly sought for any pretext, no matter how 

 silly, to lay violent hands upon the son of Cortez. It is probable, 

 too, that the prestige, — the moral power, — of the great con- 

 queror's name had not yet ceased to operate in Mexico ; and, in 

 those days when individuals were not dainty in ridding themselves 

 of dangerous intruders, it is not unlikely that it was the policy of 

 the Audiencia and its coadjutors to drive the gallant Marques from 

 scenes, which, in the course of time, might tempt his ambition. 

 The extreme popularity of such a man was not to be tolerated. 



However, the domestic festival, symbolical as it was deemed by 

 some of a desire to foreshadow the destiny of the son of Cortez, 

 was allowed to pass over. The oidores and their spies, meditating 

 in secret over the crowning of Cortez and his wife by Avila, and 

 the remarkable words by which the graceful act was accompanied, 

 resolved to embrace the first opportunity to detect what they de- 

 clared was a conspiracy to wrest the dominion of New Spain from 

 Philip II. 



When men are anxious to commit a crime, a pretext or an 

 occasion is not generally long wanting to accomplish the wicked 

 design. Accordingly we find that on the 13th of August, the 

 anniversary of the capture of the capital, the alleged conspiracy, 

 was to break out. A national procession, in honor of the day, was 

 to pass along the street of San Francisco and to return through that 

 which now bears the name of Tacuba. Certain armed bands, con- 

 vened under the pretext of military display, were to be stationed 

 in the way, while, from a small turret in which he had concealed 

 himself, Don Martin Cortez, the son of the conquerer by the In- 

 dian girl Mariana, was to sally forth, and seize the royal standard, 

 and being immediately joined by the armed bands, was, forthwith, 

 to proclaim the Marques del Valle king of Mexico and to slay the 

 oidores as well as all who should offer the least resistance. 



Such was the story which the authorities had heard or feigned 

 to have heard through their trusty spies. Nearly a month before 

 the dreaded day, however, the Audiencia assembled, and requested 

 the presence of the Marques del Valle, under the pretext that de- 

 spatches had been received from the king of Spain, which, by his 

 special order, were only to be opened in presence of the son of 

 Cortez. The Marques, who imagined no evil, immediately re- 

 sponded to the call of the oidores, and the moment he entered the 

 hall the doors were guarded by armed men. Cortez was ordered 

 to seat himself on a common stool, while one of the functionaries 



