The months passed, and Escovedo's death ceased,
in altered circumstances, to be politically desirable, but
he became a serious nuisance to Perez and his mistress, the
Princess d'Eboli. Philip had never countermanded the murder,
but Perez, according to Major Hume, falsely alleges that the
King was still bent on the murder, and that other statesmen
were consulted and approved of it, _shortly before the
actual deed_.[4] Perez gives this impression by a crafty
manipulation of dates in his narrative. When he had Escovedo
slain, he was fighting for his own hand; but Philip, who had
never countermanded the murder, was indifferent, till, in
1582, when he was with Alva in Portugal. The King now
learned that Perez had behaved abominably, had poisoned his
mind against his brother Don Juan, had communicated State
secrets to the Princess d'Eboli, and had killed Escovedo,
not in obedience to the royal order, but using that order as
the shield of his private vengeance. Hence Philip's
severities to Perez; hence his final command that Perez
should disclose the royal motives for the destruction of
Escovedo.
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