Prevod

(Long-standing custom should not sanction what reason condemns.) By good fortune they caught a Bandit just as he was robbing an innocent man of his money and his life. The Judge charged him with his crime; 5 and he replied: "Sir, from childhood I was a thief with quite a knack for petty pilfering; then I stole buckles, watches, cloaks, snuffboxes, dress swords, and other valuables; later, as I grew older, 10 I broke into houses; and today, among murderers, I am a famous highwayman. So Your Honor should not be surprised that I rob and kill a traveler; for these and other crimes 15 I have been committing for forty years." Do you blame the Bandit? Then do those offer any better defense who, when excusing their errors or their bad taste in letters, 20 plead long-established custom against the dictates of reason and justice?