Speech to his soldiers shortly before the expedition to Mexico (1519), quoted in Francisco López de Gómara, The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne atchieued by the vvorthy prince Hernando Cortes Marques of the valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade: translated out of the Spanishe tongue, by T.N. Anno. 1578., pp. 24-25
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We ought (louing fellowes) to leaue off small things, when great matters doe offer themselues. And euen as my trust is in God, euen so greater profite shall come to our kings, and a nation of this oure enterprise, than hath héeretofore of any other. I doe not speake how acceptable it will be to God our sauiour, for whose loue I do chiefly and willingly hazard my goods and trauel. I will not nowe treat of the perils and danger of life that I haue passed since I began this voyage. This I say, that good men doe rather expect renoune, than treasure. We doe now attempt and begin warre that is both good and iust, and the almighty God in whose name and holy faith this voyage is begonne, will assuredly graunte vnto vs victory, and the time will shew the end of things well begonne.

— Hernán Cortés

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "We ought (louing fellowes) to leaue off small things, when great matters doe offer themselues. And euen as my trust is in God, euen so greater profite shall come to our kings, and a nation of this oure enterprise, than hath héeretofore of any other. I doe not speake how acceptable it will be to God our sauiour, for whose loue I do chiefly and willingly hazard my goods and trauel. I will not nowe treat of the perils and danger of life that I haue passed since I began this voyage. This I say, that good men doe rather expect renoune, than treasure. We doe now attempt and begin warre that is both good and iust, and the almighty God in whose name and holy faith this voyage is begonne, will assuredly graunte vnto vs victory, and the time will shew the end of things well begonne." in the context of "Speech to his soldiers shortly before the expedition to Mexico (1519), quoted in Francisco López de Gómara, The pleasant historie of the conquest of the VVeast India, now called new Spayne atchieued by the vvorthy prince Hernando Cortes Marques of the valley of Huaxacac, most delectable to reade: translated out of the Spanishe tongue, by T.N. Anno. 1578., pp. 24-25" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

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Source: Wikiquote: "Hernán Cortés" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 19, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Hernán Cortés

About Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquess of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – 2 December 1547) was a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of what is now mainland Mexico under the rule of the king of Castile in the early 16th century. Cortés was part of the generation of Spanish explorers and conquistadors who began the first phase of the Spanish colonization of the Americas.