Quotes:Diaz del Castillo, Bernal

Zirkoff, Boris

Diaz del Castillo, Bernal. Spanish chronicler and military man, b. at Medina del Campo, 1498; d. in Mexico, 1568. Was born of a poor and humble family and in 1514, to seek his fortune in the New World, embarked as common soldier under Cordova in the first expedition to Yucatan. Eventually enlisted under Cortés, taking part in practically every major event of the war, and earning commendations for his courage and fidelity. After various other military activities, we find him in 1568 established as regidor of the city of Guatemala, busily engaged in writing down the story of his life, in addition to his own desire to relate with greater accuracy, events which had been distorted by self-seeking generals, he was distressed over the biased account of Francisco Lopez de Gômara (q.v.) and decided to correct many of its anaccuracies. Such was the origin of his Historia Verdadera de la Conquista de la Nueva Espana, an important source-material of those times, lacking eloquence and flourish but breathing the spirit of truth, as is often the case with untutored penmen. For more than sixty years after its composition, the MS. lay concealed in a private library, when it was finally placed in the hands of Father Alonso Remon, Chronicler General of the Order of Mercy. It appeared under his auspices at Madrid in 1632. An English translation was published in London, in 1800.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 2, p. 527