The Oceana of James Harrington and his other works, som [sic] wherof are now first publish'd from his own manuscripts : the whole collected, methodiz'd, and review'd, with an exact account of his life prefix'd / by John Toland.

The Introduction, or Order of the Work.

* 1.1 OCEANA is saluted by the Panegyrist after this manner; O the most blest and fortunat of all Countrys, OCEANA▪ How deservedly has Nature with the bountys of Heaven and Earth indu'd thee? Thy ever-fruitful Womb not clos'd with Ice, nor dissolv'd by the raging Star; where CERES and BACCHUS are perpetual Twins. Thy Woods are not the harbor of devouring Beasts, nor thy continual Verdure the ambush of Serpents, but the food of innu∣merable Herds and Flocks presenting thee their Shepherdess with distended Dugs, or golden Fleeces. The wings of thy Night involve thee not in the horror of darkness, but have still som white feather; and thy Day is (that for which we esteem Life) the longest. But this Extasy of PLINY (as is observ'd by BERTIUS) seems to allude as well to Marpesia and Panopea, now Provinces of this Commonwealth, as to Oceana it self.

* 1.2 TO speak of the People in each of these Countrys, this of Oceana, for so soft a one, is the most martial in the whole World. Let States that aim at Greatness (says VERULAMIUS) take heed how their Nobility and Gentlemen multiply too fast, for that makes the common Subject grow to be a Peasant and base Swain driven out of heart, and in effect but a Gentle∣man's Laborer; just as you may see in Coppice Woods, if you leave the Staddels too thick, you shall never have clean Ʋnderwood, but Shrubs and Bushes: So in Countrys, if the Gentlemen be too many, the Commons will be base; and you will bring it to that at last, that not the hundredth Poll will be sit for a Helmet, specially as to the Infantry, which is the nerve of an Army, and so there will be great Population and little Strength. This of which I speak has bin no where better seen than by comparing of Oceana and France, wherof Oceana, tho far less in Territory and Population, has bin nevertheless an overmatch, in regard the middle People of Oceana make good Soldiers, which the Peasants in France do not In which words VERULAMIUS (as MACHIAVEL has don before him) harps much upon a string which he has not perfectly tun'd, and that is the balance of Dominion or Property: as it follows more plainly in his praise of the profound and admirable device of PANURGUS King of Oceana, in making Farms and Houses of Husbandry of a Standard; that is, main∣tain'd with such a proportion of Land to them, as may breed a Subject to live in convenient plenty, and no servil condition, and to keep the Plow in the hand of the owners, and not mere hirelings. And thus indeed (says he) you shall attain to VIRGIL'S Character * 1.3which he gives of antient Italy.

BUT the Tillage bringing up a good Soldiery, brings up a good Commonwealth; which the Author in the praise of PANURGUS did not mind, nor PANURGUS in deserving that praise: for where the owner of the Plow coms to have the Sword too, he will use it in de∣fence of his own; whence it has happen'd that the People of Oceana in proportion to their property have bin always free. And the Genius of

this Nation has ever had som resemblance with that of antient Italy, which was wholly addicted to Commonwealths, and where Rome came to make the greatest account of her rustic Tribes, and to call her Consuls from the Plow; for in the way of Parlaments, which was the Government of this Realm, men of Country-lives have bin still intrusted with the greatest Affairs, and the People have constantly had an aversion to the ways of the Court. Ambition loving to be gay, and to fawn, has bin a Gallantry look'd upon as having somthing in it of the Livery; and Husbandry, or the country way of Life, tho of a grosser spinning, as the best stuf of a Commonwealth, according to ARISTOTLE, such a one being the most obstinat Assertors of her Liberty, and the least subject to Innovation or Turbulency. Wher∣fore till the Foundations (as will be hereafter shew'd) were re∣mov'd, this People was observ'd to be the least subject to Shakings and Turbulency of any: Wheras Commonwealths, upon which the City Life has had the stronger influence, as Athens, have seldom or never bin quiet; but at the best are found to have injur'd their own business by over-doing it. Whence the Urban Tribes of Rome, consisting of the Turba forensis, and Libertins that had receiv'd their Freedom by manumission, were of no reputation in comparison of the Rustics. It is true, that with Venice it may seem to be otherwise, in regard the Gentlemen (for so are all such call'd as have a right to that Govern∣ment) are wholly addicted to the City Life: but then the Turba foren∣sis, the Secretarys, Cittadini, with the rest of the Populace, are whol∣ly excluded. Otherwise a Commonwealth, consisting but of one City, would doubtless be stormy, in regard that Ambition would be every man's trade: but where it consists of a Country, the Plow in the hands of the owner finds him a better calling, and produces the most innocent and steddy Genius of a Commonwealth, such as is that of Oceana.

* 1.4 MARPESIA, being the Northern part of the same Iland, is the dry Nurse of a populous and hardy Nation, but where the Stad∣dels have bin formerly too thick: whence their Courage answer'd not their hardiness, except in the Nobility, who govern'd that Country much after the manner of Poland; but that the King was not elective till the People receiv'd their Liberty, the yoke of the Nobility being broke by the Commonwealth of Oceana, which in grateful return is therby provided with an inexhaustible Magazin of Auxiliarys.

* 1.5 PANOPEA, the soft Mother of a slothful and pusillanimous Peo∣ple, is a neighbor Iland, antiently subjected by the Arms of Oceana; since almost depopulated for shaking the Yoke, and at length replant∣ed with a new Race. But (thro what virtues of the Soil, or vice of the Air soever it be) they com still to degenerat. Wherfore seeing it is neither likely to yield men fit for Arms, nor necessary it should; it had bin the Interest of Oceana so to have dispos'd of this Province, being both rich in the nature of the Soil, and full of commodious Ports for Trade, that it might have bin order'd for the best in rela∣tion to her Purse: which in my opinion (if it had bin thought upon in time) might have bin best don by planting it with Jews, ••llowing them their own Rites and Laws; for that would have brought them suddenly from all parts of the World, and in sufficient numbers. And tho the Jews be now altogether for Merchandize, yet in the Land of Canaan (except since their exile from whence they have not bin 〈1 page duplicate〉〈1 page duplicate〉

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Landlords) they were altogether for Agriculture; and there is no cause why a man should doubt, but having a fruitful Country, and excellent Ports too, they would be good at both. Panopea well peo∣pled, would be worth a matter of four millions dry rents; that is, be∣sides the advantage of the Agriculture and Trade, which, with a Na∣tion of that Industry, coms at least to as much more. Wherfore Panopea being farm'd out to the Jews and their Heirs for ever, for the pay of a provincial Army to protect them during the term of seven years, and for two Millions annual Revenue from that time forward, besides the Customs which would pay the provincial Army, would have bin a bargain of such advantage both to them and this Com∣monwealth, as is not to be found otherwise by either. To receive the Jews after any other manner into a Commonwealth, were to maim it: for they of all Nations never incorporat, but taking up the room of a Limb, are of no use or office to the body, while they suck the nourishment which would sustain a natural and useful Member.

IF Panopea had bin so dispos'd of, that Knapsack, with the Marpe∣sian Auxiliary, had bin an inestimable Treasure; the Situation of these Countrys being Ilands (as appears by Venice how advantageous such a one is to the like Government) seems to have bin design'd by God for a Commonwealth. And yet that, thro the streitness of the place and * 1.6defect of proper Arms, can be no more than a Commonwealth for Preservation: wheras this, reduc'd to the like Government, is a Commonwealth for increase, and upon the mightiest foundation that any has bin laid from the beginning of the World to this day.

Illam arctâ capiens Neptunus compede stringit: Hanc autem glaucis captus complectitur ulnis.

THE Sea gives law to the growth of Venice, but the growth of Oceana gives law to the Sea.

THESE Countrys having bin antiently distinct and hostil King∣doms, came by MORPHEUS the Marpesian (who succeded by heredi∣tary right to the Crown of Oceana) not only to be join'd under one head; but to be cast, as it were by a charm, into that profound sleep, which, broken at length by the Trumpet of Civil War, has produc'd those effects, that have given occasion to the insuing Discourse, divi∣ded into four parts.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Pliny's Descrip∣tion of Oceana.
• * 1.2

  The Nature of the People.
• * 1.3

  Terra potens armis atque ubere gleba.
• * 1.4

  The Nature of the Marpesians.
• * 1.5

  The Nature of the Panopeans.
• * 1.6

  The Situation of the Common∣wealth of Oce∣ana.