"Among these temples there is one which far surpasses all the rest, whose grandeur of architectural details no human tongue is able to describe; for within its precincts, surrounded by a lofty wall, there is room enough for a town of five hundred families"

Hernando Cortes evokes a vision of monumental architecture in an unknown land, marveling at a temple so grand he considers it beyond the ability of words to capture. His account is colored by awe and perhaps an effort to impress his Spanish audience, but it vividly illustrates the scale and sophistication of indigenous civilizations encountered during the Spanish conquest of the Americas. The unnamed temple, likely the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, is described as incomparable to all others, distinguished by an architectural magnificence that defies verbal expression.

The emphasis on the grandeur of "architectural details" suggests that Cortes was struck not just by the size, but by the craftsmanship and the complex design. Such a description challenges European preconceptions of the Americas, contradicting the prevailing image of the indigenous world as unsophisticated or lacking in monumental culture. By invoking the idea that "no human tongue is able to describe" the building, Cortes both elevates the temple to the level of myth and dramatizes his own inability to fully convey its impact, a rhetorical device that also serves to entice curiosity and reinforce the almost legendary quality of his discoveries.

The statement that the temple's precincts, encircled by a "lofty wall", could house a "town of five hundred families" conveys the immense spatial scale involved. He places the temple within a context familiar to European audiences, using the capacity of families as a measurement, yet these numbers would have been staggering for readers accustomed to European churches or cathedrals. This comparison amplifies the sense of wonder, pushing his audience to grasp the urban and ceremonial complexity of Aztec society.

Through this passage, Cortes not only provides a rare glimpse of Mesoamerican civilization at its height, but also reveals his own ambivalence, a mixture of admiration, surprise, and perhaps a subtle attempt to justify conquest by highlighting both the splendor and difference of the societies he encounters.