his
fortune and personal safety to every hazard, as it was well known that
every inhabitant of Peru would be stripped of his property if the
regulations were put in force. That besides the general advantage
procured by Gonzalo in setting aside the obnoxious regulations, for
which all were infinitely indebted to him, it was obvious that he had
not in any respect conducted himself contrary to the royal orders, and
had not in any manner set himself against the authority of the
sovereign; since, on his arrival at Lima for the purpose of presenting
their remonstrances, the judges of the royal audience had already
arrested the viceroy and sent him out of the kingdom, of which these
judges had appointed Gonzalo interim governor; and that in marching in a
warlike manner against the viceroy, he had acted at the request and by
the orders of the royal audience; as was manifest by his being
accompanied by Cepeda, one of the royal judges and chairman of the
audience. He asserted that no person in Peru could take upon him to
determine whether the audience had acted right or otherwise in
conferring the government on Gonzalo; and that it was the duty of all to
support him in that office, till they received the ulterior orders of
the sovereign.

At the close of this discourse, every one acknowledged the justice of
what he had represented, and voluntarily offered to support Gonzalo with
their lives and fortunes; although in reality most of them did so more
from fear than good will, as they stood in great awe of De Toro, who had
hanged several persons in a summary manner, and had made himself
universally dreaded by his cruel and ferocious disposition and conduct,
so that no one dared to oppose or contradict him in any thing. After a
short deliberation, a set of resolutions were entered into, in which the
transactions of Centeno in Las Charcas were recited as seditious and
unlawful, and he was declared to have assassinated Francisco de
Almendras, the lieutenant governor, to have levied forces in rebellion
against the legitimate government, and to have passed the boundaries of
the province of Las Charcas in hostile manner; for all which reasons it
was just and proper to make war upon him, and to reduce him to
obedience. All this was done principally to satisfy or to amuse the
people, and to make them believe that the partizans of Gonzalo acted
reasonably and lawfully, as all those who signed these resolutions were
perfectly aware of the r