DON Diego de Almagro was imprisoned1 in the house of Hernando Pizarro, in a rather strong room which existed there, and Vaca de Castro's captains took care that he should not escape. After he had been there for some days, he began to seek for some means of escape, intending to take refuge at Viticos with the Inca Manco, and believing that, by adopting this course, his life might be saved. Certainly not a few felt regret that the lad should be put to death. The captains Gaspar Rodríguez de Camporredondo and Pedro Anzures de Castro, who were the favourite advisers2 of Vaca de Castro, would not hear of the execution not taking place. When Don Diego learnt this, he treated, as secretly as possible, with a page of his, for the purchase of two horses, the swiftest he could find. He was to have them ready in the river which flows through Cuzco close to his place of confinement3, at a certain hour of the night. Some persons who knew about the purchase of the horses told Vaca de Castro, who, when he knew it, ordered Don Diego to be removed to the house of captain Gabriel de Rojas, and there he was watched with more care than before. The Governor Vaca de Castro took the opinions of some of his captains and friends as to what should be done with Don Diego. To all it seemed that the best course would be to put him to death, both on account of the crime he had committed and in order to safeguard the Realm and prevent the occur[298]rence of fresh trouble. An indictment4 against him was drawn5 up, he was condemned6 to death, and the sentence was ordered to be notified in his presence. Don Diego replied by appealing to his Majesty7, or, in the first instance, to the President and Judges of the Audiencia then accredited8 in Tierra Firme. He was told that this appeal could not take place; and, having made his protests, he retorted that since they would not allow his appeal, but insisted on putting him to death, he cited Vaca de Castro to appear before the Judge of Heaven, our God, where all would be judged without prejudice or passion.
After these events and some further parley9 he confessed, always displaying the mind of a man, and not of a youth such as he was, combined with a lofty and serious presence quite out of keeping with the humility10 of his parents. His eyes were steadily11 raised to a crucifix and, on being taken from the prison, the crier walked in front, shouting: "This is the judgment12 his Majesty the Emperor our Lord, and the Governor Vaca de Castro in his name, inflicts13 on this man as a usurper14 of the royal rights, and for having tyrannically rebelled and given battle to the royal standard," and other things about what had been done by him and his followers15. On approaching the pillory16, adjoining which was the block and an executioner ready to strike, Don Diego asked a favour. It was that he might die at the place where his father was executed, and be buried in the grave where his father's body rested, and that he might be placed beneath, and the bones of his father above him. When he reached the place of execution, they wanted to put a veil over his eyes, but he said there was no need for that, and they only had to order the executioner to perform his office. He asked them to let him have the little time that remained to him to enjoy with his eyes the sight of the image of our God, which stood there. Finally they persisted and bound his eyes against his will. He[299] was extended on the block and with great courage he suffered death at the very spot where in a bygone year his father had suffered.[142] The son's body was buried in the church of La Merced, in the same grave as his father, and in the manner he had requested. Don Diego was of medium height, twenty-four years of age,[143] or a little more, very just-minded and intelligent, brave and a good horseman, liberal and a friend to good works. His mother was an Indian woman, a native of Tierra Firme. There was great hope for his career if he had lived. He was not altogether free from vices17: on the contrary, he had those which men of the Indies usually display. Captain Pedro Anzures went about enquiring18 of those who were present whether they had heard Don Diego say that he deserved his death, because the Marquis had been assassinated19 by his order. He did[300] not ask this in ignorance, for he and every one else knew perfectly20 well that Don Diego had never used any such words; but he, and Vaca[301] de Castro, and others thought that this would be useful for their own justification21. Thus closed the career of Don Diego de Almagro the younger, and with him came to an end all that remained of his father's[302] party, both men meeting the same manner of death in the city of Cuzco.
点击收听单词发音
1 imprisoned | |
下狱,监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 advisers | |
顾问,劝告者( adviser的名词复数 ); (指导大学新生学科问题等的)指导教授 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 indictment | |
n.起诉;诉状 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 drawn | |
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 condemned | |
adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 majesty | |
n.雄伟,壮丽,庄严,威严;最高权威,王权 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 accredited | |
adj.可接受的;可信任的;公认的;质量合格的v.相信( accredit的过去式和过去分词 );委托;委任;把…归结于 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 parley | |
n.谈判 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 humility | |
n.谦逊,谦恭 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
11 steadily | |
adv.稳定地;不变地;持续地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
12 judgment | |
n.审判;判断力,识别力,看法,意见 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
13 inflicts | |
把…强加给,使承受,遭受( inflict的第三人称单数 ) | |
参考例句: |
|
|
14 usurper | |
n. 篡夺者, 僭取者 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
15 followers | |
追随者( follower的名词复数 ); 用户; 契据的附面; 从动件 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
16 pillory | |
n.嘲弄;v.使受公众嘲笑;将…示众 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
17 vices | |
缺陷( vice的名词复数 ); 恶习; 不道德行为; 台钳 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
18 enquiring | |
a.爱打听的,显得好奇的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
19 assassinated | |
v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 );中伤;诋毁;破坏 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
20 perfectly | |
adv.完美地,无可非议地,彻底地 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
21 justification | |
n.正当的理由;辩解的理由 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
欢迎访问英文小说网 |