Cardan his Three books of consolation English'd ...

CHAP. I. Of Banishment, or Confinement.

I. THE next Calamity to Poverty is Banishment, and in this matter 'tis only Opi∣nion that makes a man Miserable: For how many men have meerly

for Pleasure, spent the greatest part of their Lives in Travelling and viewing strange Countries; as Plato, Berosius, Galen, and Dioscorides: and how many Fo∣reigners amongst us do the same for Profit. There was an Italian a Citizen of ours, who in Three∣score Years had never travelled farthur than the Suburbs of the Town, which being told the Prince, he commanded that henceforward he should not pass those bounds: The poor Old man disliking this Confinement, desi∣red leave to travel in his Old age, which in his Youth he never mind∣ed, which being deny'd, he fell sick and died.

II. As for my part, I should never value being Bannished my

own Country, provided I had whereon to live and maintain my self and Family elsewhere: For a Man shall many times find more Civility and Respect abroad than at home.

III. Were Travail and leaving a Mans own Country to be rec∣koned an Evil, why do so many Princes and great Personages vo∣luntarily daily undertake it. To behold the different Situations of Cities, the various Customs, and manners of People, cannot but be exceeding grateful to the Curi∣ous. Thou gainest hence Expe∣rience and greater Respect when thou returnest home. What plea∣sing sights do offer themselves to thee, of Towns, Seas, Moun∣tains, Rivers, Meads, Woods,

Hills and Plains. Alexander is said to Travel rather to excel Trajan, who envied his Fame, than from a desire to Conquer the World.

IV. We find Homer commen∣ding his old Friend Ʋlysses, for nothing more than for this. A∣gain, Domesthenes, Cicero, Aristi∣des, Thucidides, Themistocles, Al∣cibiades, Codrus, Theseus, Eumol∣pus, Trax, Aristotle, Camillus, Co∣rialanus, Marius, Datanus, Tri∣sibulus, Dion, Hannibal, Deme∣trius, Phalerius, have all been Bannished their Countries. Conon voluntarily Bannished himself into Cyprus, Iphicrates into Thrace.

V. In short, Consider again that of Socrates, the whole World is a Wise mans Country,

and so long as such a one is in the World, he is never out of it. Very pleasant was the saying of Diogenes, who being told that the Synopenses had commanded him to forsake their Countrey: and I, says he, command them for ever to abide in it.

VI. Whosoever performs any worthy Act at home, instead of Glory, gains only Envy. Where was our Saviour himself less re∣spected than in his own Country, being not only disdained and af∣flicted there, but at length cruel∣ly put to Death.