194 IT IS SACKED VICEROY ESCAPES RETRIBUTION. 



live the king ! but down with the wicked government, and death 

 to the excommunicated wretches ! " These shouts, yelled forth 

 by the dense and surging mob, were followed by volleys, discharged 

 at the persons on the azotea, who, for three hours, returned the 

 shots and skirmished with the insurgents. Stones, also, were 

 hurled from the parapet upon the crowd, but it is related in the 

 chronicles of the time, that not a single piece of ordnance was 

 discharged upon the people, " for the viceroy, in those days, had 

 none for the defence of his palace or person, neither had that great 

 city any for its strength and security. " 



So passed the noon and evening of that disastrous day ; but, at 

 night fall, the baffled mob that had been unable to make any 

 impression with their feeble weapons upon the massive walls of the 

 palace, brought pitch and inflamable materials, with which they 

 fired the gates of the viceroyal palace. The bright flames of these 

 combustibles sent up their light in the still evening air, and, far 

 and wide over the town spread the news that the beautiful city was 

 about to be destroyed. Frightened from their retreats, the judges 

 and chief citizens who had influence with the people rushed to the 

 plaza, and, by their urgent entreaties, efforts were made to extin- 

 guish the fire. But the palace gates had already fallen, and, over 

 their smouldering ruins, the infuriated assailants rushed into the 

 edifice to commence the work of destruction. The magistrates, 

 however, who had never taken part against the people in their 

 quarrels, soon appeared upon the field, and, by loud entreaties, 

 stopped the saqueo. It was soon discovered that Mexia and Tirol 

 had escaped by a postern, whilst the conquered viceroy, disguised 

 as a friar, stole through the crowd to the Franciscan cloister, 

 where, for many a day, he lay concealed in the sanctuary which 

 his rapacious spirit had denied to the venerable De la Serna. 



So ended this base attempt of a Spanish nobleman and repre- 

 sentative of royalty in America, to enrich himself by plundering the 

 docile Mexicans. The fate of Mexia and Tirol is unknown. But 

 Spanish injustice towards the colonies was strongly marked by the 

 reception of the viceroy and the archbishop on their return from 

 Madrid. Gelves, it is true, was recalled, but, after being graciously 

 welcomed at court, was made " master of the royal horse ; " while 

 the noble hearted De la Serna was degraded from his Mexican arch- 

 prelacy and banished to the petty bishopric of Zamora in Castile ! 



