It was a pretty invention, and received into most governments of the world, to institute certain vain and in themselves valueless distinctions to honour and recompense virtue, such as the crowns of laurel, oak, and myrtle, the particular fashion of some garment, the privilege to ride in a coach in the city, or at night with a torch, some peculiar place assigned in public assemblies, the prerogative of certain additional names and titles, certain distinctions in the bearing of coats of arms, and the like, the use of which, according to the several humours of nations, has been variously received, and yet continues.
Asmatze ederra izan da, eta munduko gobernu gehinetan onartua, bertuatearen saristatzeko eta ohoratzeko ezaugarri hutsal eta baliorik gabe zenbaiten ezartzea, hala nola erramu-boneta, haritzezkoa, mitrezkoa, jantzi baten moldea, hirian barrena kotxez joateko bereiztasuna, edo gauaz suziriekin, batzarre publikoetan jarleku berezi zerbait, goititzen eta izendapen zenbaiten bereiztasuna, armarrietan ezaugarri zenbait, eta antzeko gauzak, erabilera ezberdinki onartua izan baita erresumen usteen arabera, eta oraindik ere badirau.