m regiae opulentiae monumentum_, &c., to his great
honour built that renowned library at Alexandria, wherein were 40,000
volumes. Severinus Boethius never writ so elegantly as in prison, Paul so
devoutly, for most of his epistles were dictated in his bands: "Joseph,"
saith [3858]Austin, "got more credit in prison, than when he distributed
corn, and was lord of Pharaoh's house." It brings many a lewd, riotous
fellow home, many wandering rogues it settles, that would otherwise have
been like raving tigers, ruined themselves and others.

Banishment is no grievance at all, _Omne solum forti patria, &c. et patria
est ubicunque bene est_, that's a man's country where he is well at ease.
Many travel for pleasure to that city, saith Seneca, to which thou art
banished, and what a part of the citizens are strangers born in other
places? [3859]_Incolentibus patria_, 'tis their country that are born in
it, and they would think themselves banished to go to the place which thou
leavest, and from which thou art so loath to depart. 'Tis no disparagement
to be a stranger, or so irksome to be an exile. [3860]"The rain is a
stranger to the earth, rivers to the sea, Jupiter in Egypt, the sun to us
all. The soul is an alien to the body, a nightingale to the air, a swallow
in a house, and Ganymede in heaven, an elephant at Rome, a Phoenix in
India;" and such things commonly please us best, which are most strange and
come the farthest off. Those old Hebrews esteemed the whole world Gentiles;
the Greeks held all barbarians but themselves; our modern Italians account
of us as dull Transalpines by way of reproach, they scorn thee and thy
country which thou so much admirest. 'Tis a childish humour to hone after
home, to be discontent at that which others seek; to prefer, as base
islanders and Norwegians do, their own ragged island before Italy or
Greece, the gardens of the world. There is a base nation in the north,
saith [3861]Pliny, called Chauci, that live amongst rocks and sands by the
seaside, feed on fish, drink water: and yet these base people account
themselves slaves in respect, when they come to Rome. _Ita est profecto_
(as he concludes) _multis fortuna parcit in poenam_, so it is, fortune
favours some to live at home, to their further punishment: 'tis want of
judgment. All places are distant from heaven alike, the sun shines happily
as warm in one city as in another, and to a wise man there is no difference
of climes; friends are everywh