Honorissimplythatpeculiarrule，foundeduponapeculiarstateofsociety，bytheapplicationofwhichapeopleoraclassallotpraiseorblame。Nothingismoreunproductivetothemindthananabstractidea;Ithereforehastentocallintheaidoffactsandexamplestoillustratemymeaning。
Iselectthemostextraordinarykindofhonorwhichwaseverknownintheworld，andthatwhichwearebestacquaintedwith，viz。，aristocratichonorspringingoutoffeudalsociety。I
shallexplainitbymeansoftheprinciplealreadylaiddown，andIshallexplaintheprinciplebymeansoftheillustration。IamnothereledtoinquirewhenandhowthearistocracyoftheMiddleAgescameintoexistence，whyitwassodeeplyseveredfromtheremainderofthenation，orwhatfoundedandconsolidateditspower。Itakeitsexistenceasanestablishedfact，andIamendeavoringtoaccountforthepeculiarviewwhichittookofthegreaterpartofhumanactions。Thefirstthingthatstrikesmeis，thatinthefeudalworldactionswerenotalwayspraisedorblamedwithreferencetotheirintrinsicworth，butthattheyweresometimesappreciatedexclusivelywithreferencetothepersonwhowastheactorortheobjectofthem，whichisrepugnanttothegeneralconscienceofmankind。Thussomeoftheactionswhichwereindifferentonthepartofamaninhumblelife，dishonoredanoble;otherschangedtheirwholecharacteraccordingasthepersonaggrievedbythembelongedordidnotbelongtothearistocracy。Whenthesedifferentnotionsfirstarose，thenobilityformedadistinctbodyamidstthepeople，whichitcommandedfromtheinaccessibleheightswhereitwasensconced。Tomaintainthispeculiarposition，whichconstituteditsstrength，itnotonlyrequiredpoliticalprivileges，butitrequiredastandardofrightandwrongforitsownespecialuse。Thatsomeparticularvirtueorvicebelongedtothenobilityratherthantothehumbleclasses—thatcertainactionswereguiltlesswhentheyaffectedthevillain，whichwerecriminalwhentheytouchedthenoble—thesewereoftenarbitrarymatters;butthathonororshameshouldbeattachedtoaman’sactionsaccordingtohiscondition，wasaresultoftheinternalconstitutionofanaristocraticcommunity。Thishasbeenactuallythecaseinallthecountrieswhichhavehadanaristocracy;aslongasatraceoftheprincipleremains，thesepeculiaritieswillstillexist;todebauchawomanofcolorscarcelyinjuresthereputationofanAmerican—tomarryherdishonorshim。
Insomecasesfeudalhonorenjoinedrevenge，andstigmatizedtheforgivenessofinsults;inothersitimperiouslycommandedmentoconquertheirownpassions，andimposedforgetfulnessofself。Itdidnotmakehumanityorkindnessitslaw，butitextolledgenerosity;itsetmorestoreonliberalitythanonbenevolence;itallowedmentoenrichthemselvesbygamblingorbywar，butnotbylabor;itpreferredgreatcrimestosmallearnings;cupiditywaslessdistastefultoitthanavarice;
violenceitoftensanctioned，butcunningandtreacheryitinvariablyreprobatedascontemptible。Thesefantasticalnotionsdidnotproceedexclusivelyfromthecapricesofthosewhoentertainedthem。Aclasswhichhassucceededinplacingitselfattheheadofandaboveallothers，andwhichmakesperpetualexertionstomaintainthisloftyposition，mustespeciallyhonorthosevirtueswhichareconspicuousfortheirdignityandsplendor，andwhichmaybeeasilycombinedwithprideandtheloveofpower。Suchmenwouldnothesitatetoinvertthenaturalorderoftheconscienceinordertogivethosevirtuesprecedencebeforeallothers。Itmayevenbeconceivedthatsomeofthemoreboldandbrilliantviceswouldreadilybesetabovethequiet，unpretendingvirtues。Theveryexistenceofsuchaclassinsocietyrendersthesethingsunavoidable。