We proceeded along the Causeway which . . . runs straight to the City of Mexico. It was so crowded with people that there was hardly room for them all. They had never before seen horses or men such as we are.

Gazing on such wonderful sights, we did not know what to say, . . . for on one side, on the land, there were great cities, and in the lake ever so many more, and the lake itself was crowded with canoes, and in the Causeway were many bridges at intervals, and in front of us stood the great City of Mexico, and we, — we did not even number four hundred soldiers!

When we arrived, . . . many more chieftains and Caciques approached clad in very rich mantles. The Great Moctezuma had sent these great Caciques in advance to receive us, and when they came before Cortés they bade us welcome in their language, and as a sign of peace, they touched their hands against the ground, and kissed the ground with the hand.

When we arrived near to Mexico, the Great Moctezuma got down from his litter, and those great Caciques supported him with their arms beneath a marvellously rich canopy of green coloured feathers with much gold and silver embroidery and with pearls suspended from a sort of bordering, which was wonderful to look at. Besides these four Chieftains, there were four other great Caciques, who supported the canopy over their heads, and many other Lords who walked before the Great Moctezuma, sweeping the ground where he would tread and spreading cloths on it, so that he should not tread on the earth. Not one of these chieftains dared even to think of looking him in the face, but kept their eyes lowered with great reverence, except those four relations, his nephews, who supported him with their arms.

When Cortés was told that the Great Moctezuma was approaching, he dismounted from his horse, and when he was near Moctezuma, they simultaneously paid great reverence to one another. Moctezuma bade him welcome, and our Cortés replied through Doña Marina wishing him very good health. And it seems to me that Cortés, through Doña Marina, offered him his right hand, and Moctezuma did not wish to take it, but he did give his hand to Cortés and Cortés brought out a necklace which he had ready at hand, made of glass stones, . . . and he placed it round the neck of the Great Moctezuma and when he had so placed it he was going to embrace him, and those great Princes who accompanied Moctezuma held back Cortés by the arm so that he should not embrace him, for they considered it an indignity.

Then Cortés through the mouth of Doña Marina told him that now his heart rejoiced at having seen such a great Prince, and that he took it as a great honour that he had come in person to meet him and had frequently shown him such favour. Then Moctezuma spoke other words of politeness to him, and told two of his nephews . . . to go with us and show us to our quarters. . . . They took us to lodge in some large houses, where there were apartments for all of us. . . . They took us to lodge in that house, because they called us Teules [the Spanish took this word to mean “gods”], and took us for such, so that we should be with the Idols or Teules which were kept there. . . .

[After a “sumptuous dinner” and more “polite speech,” everyone retired for the night. The next day Cortés and Moctezuma met again and exchanged views on religion. After Cortés outlined the basics of the Christian faith, he invited Moctezuma to embrace it.]

[Cortés told] how such a brother as our great Emperor, grieving for the perdition of so many souls, such as those which their idols were leading to Hell, where they burn in living flames, had sent us, so that after what he [Moctezuma] had now heard he would put a stop to it and they would no longer adore these Idols or sacrifice Indian men and women to them, for we were all brethren, nor should they commit sodomy or thefts. . . . At present we merely came to give them due warning, and so he prayed him to do what he was asked and carry it into effect.

Moctezuma replied — “Señor Malinche, I have understood your words and arguments very well before now, from what you said to my servants. . . . We have not made any answer to it because here throughout all time we have worshipped our own gods, and thought they were good, as no doubt yours are, so do not trouble to speak to us any more about them at present. Regarding the creation of the world, we have held the same belief for ages past, and for this reason we take it for certain that you are those whom our ancestors predicted would come from the direction of the sunrise. As for your great King, I feel that I am indebted to him, and I will give him of what I possess. . . .

And Moctezuma said, laughing, for he was very merry in his princely way of speaking: “Malinche, I know very well that these people of Tlaxcala with whom you are such good friends have told you that I am a sort of God or Teul, and that everything in my houses is made of gold and silver and precious stones, I know well enough that you are wise and did not believe it but took it as a joke. Behold now, Señor Malinche, my body is of flesh and bone like yours, my houses and palaces of stone and wood and lime; that I am a great king and inherit the riches of my ancestors is true, but not all the nonsense and lies that they have told you about me, although of course you treated it as a joke, as I did your thunder and lightning.”

[A few days later Cortés asked Moctezuma to “show us your gods and Teules.” On a visit to the main temple, Díaz described the many grotesquely carved “idols” and recalled evidence of recent human sacrifices.]

They had offered to this Idol five hearts from that day’s sacrifices. . . . Everything was covered with blood, both walls and altar, and the stench was such that we could hardly wait the moment to get out of it.

Our Captain said to Moctezuma through our interpreter, half laughing: “Señor Moctezuma, I do not understand how such a great Prince and wise man as you are has not come to the conclusion, in your mind, that these idols of yours are not gods, but evil things that are called devils, and so that you may know it and all your priests may see it clearly, do me the favour to approve of my placing a cross . . . [and] divide off a space where we can set up an image of Our Lady.”

Moctezuma replied half angrily (and the two priests who were with him showed great annoyance), and said: “Señor Malinche, if I had known that you would have said such defamatory things I would not have shown you my gods, we consider them to be very good, for they give us health and rains and good seed times and seasons and as many victories as we desire, and we are obliged to worship them and make sacrifices, and I pray you not to say another word to their dishonour.”

When our Captain heard that and noted the angry looks he did not refer again to the subject, but said with a cheerful manner: “It is time for your Excellency and for us to return.” And Moctezuma replied that it was well, but that he had to pray and offer certain sacrifices on account of the great tatacul, that is to say sin, which he had committed in allowing us to ascend his great Cue [temple], and being the cause of our being permitted to see his gods, and of our dishonouring them by speaking evil of them, so that before he left he must pray and worship.

Then Cortés said “I ask your pardon if it be so. . . .” After our Captain and all of us were tired of walking about and seeing such a diversity of Idols and their sacrifices, we returned to our quarters.

Source: Bernal Díaz, The True History of the Conquest of New Spain (London Hakluyt Society, 1908). Excerpt taken from Bedford series book Stuart B. Schwartz, Victors and Vanquished (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000), pp. 133–55.