Bernal Diaz del Castillo Quotes

We went there to serve God, and also to get rich.

We dared not charge them except all together... for they were so numerous that they could have blinded us with clods of earth, if God, of His great mercy, had not aided and protected us.

And when we saw all those cities and villages built in the water, and other great towns on dry land, and that straight and level causeway leading to Mexico, we were astounded.

Fruit of all the kinds that the country produced were laid before him; he ate very little, but from time to time a liquor prepared from cocoa, and of an aphrodisiac nature, as we were told, was presented to him in golden cups... I observed a number of jars, above fifty, brought in, filled with foaming chocolate of which he took some.

As for us, we were scarcely four hundred strong, and we well remembered the word and warning...we had received to beware of entering the city of Mexico, since they would kill us as soon as they had us inside.

We came to serve God and to get rich, as all men wish to do.