possible
for a neighbour to mention anything in the praise of another if he was
not present at the battle with him? Are the sparrows, said I, to speak
of it, who flew over our heads during the engagements? or the clouds,
that floated on high? Who can speak better about it than we, the
officers and soldiers, the men who themselves fought the battles? Your
reproach, gentlemen, would have been very just, continued I, if in my
history you had found that I had withheld the praise that was due to the
officers and soldiers who were my companions in arms, and I had claimed
all the honour to myself; but I have not even said so much in my own
praise as I could, and indeed ought to have done; but I write that my
name may not be forgotten. Here I feel tempted to make a comparison,
though it is between a very great man and a poor soldier like myself;
which is, if historians relate of the imperator and celebrated general
Julius Caesar, that he fought fifty-three battles, I may say that I
fought in many more battles than Julius Caesar, as may be seen from my
narrative. Historians also say of Julius Caesar how courageous he was,
and always ready for battle at a moment's notice, and how he devoted his
nights in writing down his valorous deeds with his own hand; for though
there were numbers of historians, he would not trust his fame in their
hands. It should therefore be no matter of surprise to any one, when I
mention a few words about myself, in describing the battles at which I
was present, that future generations may say: this Bernal Diaz del
Castillo wrote, in order that his children and descendants might share
in the praise of his heroic deeds, in the same way as the fame of those
heroes of old has been handed down in their escutcheons to their latest
posterity.

I will not, however, say anything further on this head; for what I have
already said will not be relished by malice and envy, who will be of
opinion that I have praised myself too much. What I have said of myself
has, so to say, happened but yesterday, and not centuries ago, as the
exploits of the Romans. There are still sufficient of the Conquistadores
living to confirm what I have related. If they found any untruths, or
even any obscure passage, they would not allow it to pass unnoticed.
However, it is so in the world; malice always maligns truth. I will now
enumerate in their regular order all the battles at which I was present,
from the first discovery of New Spain, d