names if they write matters of fact 't is a sign they cannot make them good and all men are agreed to reject their Testimony except such as resolve to deny others common justice but the ill opinion of these prejudic'd persons can no more injure any man than their good opinion will do him honor Besides other reasons of mentioning my suppos'd designs one is to disabuse several people who as I am told are made to believe that in the History of SOCRATES I draw a Parallel between that Philosopher and JESUS CHRIST This is a most scandalous and unchristian calumny as will more fully appear to the world whenever the Book it self is publish'd for that I have bin som time about it I freely avow yet not in the manner those officious Informers report but as becoms a disinterested Historian and a friend to all mankind The Inscription on the Monument of Sir JAMES HARRINGTON and his three Sons at Exton in Rutlandshire HERE lieth Sir James Harrington of Exton Kt. with a And Sister to Sir Philip Sidney Kt. Lucy his Wife Daughter to Sir William Sidney Kt. by whom he had 18 Children wherof three Sons and 8 Daughters marry'd as follows THE eldest Son Sir b Who was afterwards created Ld Harrington and his Lady was Governess to the Queen of Bohemia His Family is extinct as to Heirs Male One of his Daughters was marry'd to the Earl of Bedford and was Groom of the Stole to Q. Ann. The other was marry'd to a Scotch Lord whose name was Lord Bruce Earl of Elgin his Grandson now Lord Alisbury John marry'd the Heiress of Robert Keylwoy Surveyor of the Court of Wards and Liverys The 2 d Son Sir c Who happen'd to be President of Ireland and from him descended my Lady Fretchavil's Father my Lady Morison and my Lord Falkland's Lady Henry took to Wife one of the Coheirs of Francis Agar one of his Majesty's Privy Council in Ireland the 3 d Son James d Afterwards Baronet To him were born Sir Edward Harrington Sir Sapcotes Harrington and Mr. John Harrington who had Issue both Sons and Daughters Harrington Esq had to Wife one of the Coheirs of Robert Sapcotes Esq The eldest Daughter Elizabeth was married to Sir Edward e Who was Father to the Lord Montague the Earl of Manchester and Lord Privy Seal and Sir Sidney Montague who was afterwards created Earl of Sandwich and to the Earl of Rutlana's Lady and Judg Montague Montague Kt. The 2 d Frances to Sir William f Who was afterwards created Lord Chichester and Earl of Dunsmore and marry'd one of his Daughters to the Earl of Southamton by whom he had the present Lady Northumberland And his other Daughter marry'd her self to Col. Villâ—rs and is now Governess to the Lady Mary the Duke of York's eldest Daughter Lee Kt. The 3 d Margaret to Don g Which Dukedom afterwards fell to him and by this Lady he had one sole Daughter and Heir who is said to have marry'd the Duke of Ferio and by him to have had one Daughter who is marry'd to a King of Portugal Bonitto de Sisnores of Spain of the Family of the Dukes of Frantasquo The 4 th Katherine to Sir Edward h Of Lincolnshire the King's Standard-bearer Dimmock Kt. The 5 th Mary to Sir Edward i An antient noble Family in Kent Wingâ—ield Kt. The 6 th Maball to Sir Andrew k Now Lord Cambden Owner of the place where this Monument is â—oell Kt. The 7 th Surah was marry'd to the Lord Hastings Heir to the Earl of Huntingdon The 8 th Theodosia l One of whose Daughters marry'd the Earl of Hume in Scotland and had by him two Daughters one married my Lord Morrice and the other my Lord Maitland now Duke of Lauderdale The other Daughter of my Lady Dudley was Heir to the Honour of Dudley Castle of whose Issue by the Mother's side is the present Lord Dudley to the Lord Dudley of Dudley Castle THE same Sir James and Lucy were marry'd fifty years She died first in the 72 d year of her Age he shortly after yielded to Nature being 80 years old in the year of our Lord 1591 and of Queen Elizabeth's Reign 34. their Son James being made sole Executor to them both who that he might as well perform to his Parents their Rites as leave a Testimony of his own Piety to Posterity hath erected and dedicated this Monument to their eternal Memory The Mechanics of Nature OR An Imperfect Treatise written by JAMES HARRINGTON during his sickness to prove against his Doctors that the Notions he had of his own Distemper were not as they alleg'd Hypocondriac Whimsys or Delirious Fancys The PREFACE HAVING bin about nine months som say in a Disease I in a Cure I have bin the wonder of Physicians and they mine not but that we might have bin reconcil'd for Books I grant if they keep close to Nature must be good ones but I deny that Nature is bound to Books I am no study'd Naturalist having long since given over that Philosophy as inscrutable and incertain for thus I thought with my self Nature to whom it is given to work as it were under her Veil or behind the Curtain is the Art of God now if there be Arts of Men who have wrought openly enough to the understanding for example that of TITIAN nevertheless whose excellency I shall never reach How shall I thus sticking in the Bark at the Arts of Men be able to look thence to the Roots or dive into the Abyss of things in the Art of God And nevertheless Si placidum caput undis extulerit should Nature afford me a sight of her I do not think so meanly of my self but that I would know her as soon as another tho more learn'd man Laying therfore Arts wholly and Books almost all aside I shall truly deliver to the world how I felt and saw Nature that is how she came first into my senses and by the senses into my understanding Yet for the sake of my Readers and also for my own I must invert the order of my Discourse For theirs because till I can speak to men that have had the same Sensations with my self I must speak to such as have a like understanding with others For my own because being like in this Discourse to be the Monky that play'd at Chess with his Master I have need of som Cushion on my head that being in all I have spoken hitherto more laid at than my Reason My Discourse then is to consist of two parts the first in which I appeal to his understanding who will use his Reason is a Platform of Nature drawn out in certain Aphorisms and the second in which I shall appeal to his senses who in a Disease very common will make further trial is a Narrative of my Case A Platform or Scheme of Nature 1. NATURE is the Fiat the Breath and in the
towards the better settlement of the Kingdom Among these there was an eminent Royalist who prevail'd with him to draw up som Instructions for the King's service wherby he might be inabl'd to govern with satisfaction to the People and safety to himself which being perform'd and sign'd with his one hand his Friend after shewing it to several of the Courtiers found they did not approve a Scheme that was not likely to further their selfish Designs At last he put his Paper into the hands of a great Minister about the King and how well our Author was rewarded for his good Intentions we are now going to relate About this time he was busy in reducing his Politics into short and easy Aphorisms yet methodically digested in their natural order and suted to the most vulgar capacitys Of this he made no secret and freely communicated his Papers to all that visited him While he was putting the last hand to this System and as an innocent man apprehensive of no danger he was by an Order from the King on the 28 th of December 1661 seiz'd by Sir WILLIAM POULTNEY and others and committed to the Tower of London for treasonable Designs and Practices He had the written sheets of his Aphorisms then lying loose on the table before him and understanding they intended to carry 'em to the Council he beg'd the favor that he might stitch 'em together which was granted and so remov'd with som other Papers to Whitehall I have that Manuscript now in my hands and another Copy of the same which was given me by one of his acquaintance from both which I have printed it among the rest of his Works It is a complete System of Politics and discovers the true Springs of the rise temper and dissolution of all sorts of Governments in a very brief and perspicuous manner 32. HE had no time given him to take leave of any body but was straight convey'd to the Tower where none were allow'd to com to his sight or speech His Sisters were inconsolable and the more so the less they knew what was laid to their Brother's charge One of them who on another occasion had experienc'd the King's favor threw her self now at his feet and petition'd him to have compassion on her Brother who thro a great mistake was fallen under his Majesty's displeasure for as she was sure that none of his Subjects exceded his Loyalty so his Majesty might see he was not the man they design'd since the Warrant was for Sir JAMES HARRINGTON wheras her Brother was never honor'd with such a Title by his Majesty's Ancestors and he would not have accepted it from OLIVER To this the King made answer that tho they might be mistaken in his Title he doubted he might be found more guilty of the Crimes alleg'd against him than he wish'd any Brother of hers to be Then she press'd he might be examin'd before his Majesty or be brought to a speedy trial Shortly after my Lord LAUDERDALE Sir GEORGE CARTERET and Sir EDWARD WALKER were sent to the Tower to question him about a Plot which they said he had contriv'd against his Majesty's Person and Government At this he was extraordinarily reviv'd not being able to divine before the cause of his Confinement and knowing himself wholly innocent of this Charge He found means to transmit a Copy of his Examination to his Sisters giving 'em leave to publish it which was never hitherto don and is as follows 33. THE Examination of JAMES HARRINGTON taken in the Tower of London by the Earl of LAUDERDALE Sir GEORGE CARTERET and Sir EDWARD WALKER LORD LAUDERDALE Sir I have heretofore accounted it an honor to be your Kinsman but am now sorry to see you upon this occasion very sorry I assure you HARRINGTON My Lord seeing this is an occasion I am glad to see you upon this occasion Which said the Commissioners sat down and Mr. HARRINGTON standing before my Lord he began in this manner Lord. SIR the King thinks it strange that you who have so eminently appear'd in Principles contrary to his Majesty's Government and the Laws of this Nation should ever since he came over live so quiet and unmolested and yet should be so ungrateful Were you disturb'd were you so much as affronted that you should enter into such desperat practices Har. MY Lord when I know why this is said I shall know what to say Lord. WELL then without any longer preamble will you answer me ingenuously and as you are a Gentleman to what I have to propose Har. MY Lord I value the asseveration as I am a Gentleman as high as any man but think it an asseveration too low upon this occasion wherfore with your leave I shall make use of som greater asseveration Lord. FOR that do as you see good do you know Mr. WILDMAN Har. MY Lord I have som acquaintance with him Lord. WHEN did you see him Har. MY Lord he and I have not bin in one house together these two years Lord. WILL you say so Har. YES my Lord. Lord. WHERE did you see him last Har. ABOUT a year ago I met him in a street that gos to Drury-lane Lord. DID you go into no house Har. NO my Lord. Sir G. Carteret THAT 's strange Lord. COM this will do you no good Had not you in March last meetings with him in Bowstreet in Coventgarden where there were about twenty more of you where you made a Speech about half an hour long that they should lay by distinguishing Names and betake themselves together into one Work which was to dissolve this Parlament and bring in a new one or the old one again Was not this meeting adjourn'd from thence to the Mill Bank were not you there also Har. MY Lord you may think if these things be true I have no refuge but to the mercy of God and of the King Lord. TRUE Har. WELL then my Lord solemnly and deliberatly with my eys to Heaven I renounce the mercy of God and the King if any of this be true or if ever I thought or heard of this till now that you tell it me Sir G. C. THIS is strange Lord. DO you know BAREBONES Har. YES my Lord. Lord. WHEN did you see him Har. I THINK that I have call'd at his house or shop thrice in my life Lord. HAD you never any meetings with him since the King came over Har. NO my Lord. Sir G. C. THIS is strange Lord. DO you know Mr. NEVIL Har. VERY well my Lord. Lord. WHEN did you see him Har. MY Lord I seldom us'd to visit him but when he was in Town he us'd to see me at my house every evening as duly almost as the day went over his head Lord. WERE you not with him at som public meeting Har. MY Lord the publickest meeting I have bin with him at was at dinner at his own lodging where I met Sir BERNARD GASCOIN and I think Col. LEG Sir Edw. Walker THEY were good
him take it quite away †Neque id existimaâ—e debes autorem me tibi esse ut tyrannidem in S. P. Q. R. in servitutem redactum teneas quod neque dicere meum nâ—que facere tuum est Whence this Empire being neither Hawk nor Buzzard made a flight accordingly and the Prince being perpetually tost having the Avarice of the Soldiery on this hand to satisfy upon the People and the Senat and the People on the other to be defended from the Soldiery seldom dy'd any other death than by one Horn of this Dilemma as is noted more at large by MACCHIAVEL But P. cap. 19. the Pretorian Bands those bestial executioners of their Captain 's Tyranny upon others and of their own upon him having continued from the time of AUGUSTUS were by CONSTANTIN the Great incens'd against them for taking part with his Adversary MAXENTIUS remov'd from their strong Garison which they held in Rome and distributed into divers Provinces The Benefices of the Soldiers that were hitherto held for Life and upon Duty were by this Prince made Hereditary so that the whole Foundation wherupon this Empire was first built being now remov'd shews plainly that the Emperors must long before this have found out som other way of support and this was by stipendiating the Goths a People that deriving their Roots from the Northern parts of Germany or out of Sweden had thro their Victorys obtain'd against DOMITIAN long since spred their Branches to so near a Neighborhood with the Roman Territorys that they began to overshadow them For the Emperors making use of them in their Armys as the French do at this day of the Switz gave them that under the notion of a Stipend which they receiv'd as Tribute coming if there were any default in the payment so often to distrein for it that in the time of HONORIUS they sack'd Rome and possest themselves of Italy And such was the transition of antient into modern Prudence or that breach which being follow'd in every part of the Roman Empire with Inundations of Vandals Huns Lombards Franks Saxons overwhelm'd antient Languages Learning Prudence Manners Citys changing the names of Rivers Macchiavel Countrys Seas Mountains and Men CAMILLUS CAESAR and POMPEY being com to EDMUND RICHARD and GEOFFREY The Gothic Balance TO open the Groundwork or Balance of these new Politicians Feudum says CALVIN the Lawyer is a Gothic word of divers significations for it is taken either for War or for a possession of conquer'd Lands distributed by the Victor to such of his Captains and Soldiers as had merited in his Wars upon condition to acknowlege him to be their perpetual Lord and themselves to be his Subjects Institution of Feudatory Principalitys OF these there were three Kinds or Orders The first of Nobility distinguish'd by the Titles of Dukes Marquisses Earls and these being gratified with the Citys Castles and Villages of the conquer'd Italians their Feuds participated of Royal Dignity and were call'd Regalia by which they had right to coin Mony create Magistrats take Toll Customs Confiscations and the like FEUDS of the second Order were such as with the consent of the King were bestow'd by these Feudatory Princes upon men of inferior Quality call'd their Barons on condition that next to the King they should defend the Dignitys and Fortunes of their Lords in Arms. THE lowest Order of Feuds were such as being confer'd by those of the second Order upon privat men whether Noble or not Noble oblig'd them in the like Duty to their Superiors these were call'd Vavasors And this is the Gothic Balance by which all the Kingdoms this day in Christendom were at first erected for which cause if I had time I should open in this place the Empire of Germany and the Kingdoms of France Spain and Poland But so much as has bin said being sufficient for the discovery of the Principles of modern Prudence in general I shall divide the remainder of my Discourse which is more particular into three parts THE first shewing the Constitution of the late Monarchy of Oceana THE second the Dissolution of the same And THE third the Generation of the present Commonwealth THE Constitution of the late Monarchy of Oceana is to be consider'd in relation to the different Nations by whom it has bin successively subdu'd and govern'd The first of these were the Romans the second the Teutons the third the Scandians and the fourth the Neustrians THE Government of the Romans who held it as a Province I shall omit because I am to speak of their Provincial Government in another place only it is to be remember'd here that if we have given over running up and down naked and with dappl'd hides learn'd to write and read and to be instructed with good Arts for all these we are beholden to the Romans either immediatly or mediatly by the Teutons for that the Teutons had the Arts from no other hand is plain enough by their Language which has yet no word to signify either writing or reading but what is deriv'd from the Latin Furthermore by the help of these Arts so learn'd we have bin capable of that Religion which we have long since receiv'd wherfore it seems to me that we ought not to detract from the memory of the Romans by whose means we are as it were of Beasts becom Men and by whose means we might yet of obscure and ignorant Men if we thought not too well of our selves becom a wise and a great People For the proof of the insuing Discourse out of Records and Antiquitys see Selden's Titles of Honor from pag. 593 to pag. 837. THE Romans having govern'd Oceana provincially the Teutons were the first that introduc'd the Form of the late Monarchy To these succeded the Scandians of whom because their Reign was short as also because they made little alteration in the Government as to the Form I shall take no notice But the Teutons going to work upon the Gothic Balance divided the whole Nation into three sorts of Feuds that of Ealdorman that of Kings Thane and that of Middle Thane The Teuton Monarchy WHEN the Kingdom was first divided into Precincts will be as hard to shew as when it began first to be govern'd it being impossible that there should be any Government without som Division The Division that was in use with the Teutons was by Countys and every County had either its Ealdorman or High Reeve The title of Ealdorman came in time to Eorl or Erl and that of High Reeve to High Sheriff Earls EARL of the Shire or County denoted the Kings Thane or Tehant by Grand Serjeantry or Knights Service in chief or in capite his Possessions were somtimes the whole Territory from whence he had his denomination that is the whole County somtimes more than one County and somtimes less the remaining part being in the Crown He had also somtimes a third or som other customary
three Chairs in which the three Commissioners of the Seal are plac'd and at the other end sit the three Commissioners of the Treasury every one in a Robe or Habit like that of the Earls Of these Magistrats of this upper Stage consists the Signory At either end of the lower Stage stands a little Table to which the Secretarys of the Senat are set with their tusted Sleeves in the habit of civil Lawyers To the four steps wherby the two Stages of the Throne are ascended answer four long Benches which successively deriving from every one of the steps continue their respective height and extend themselves by the side Walls towards the lower end of the House every Bench being divided by numeral Characters into the thirty seven parts or places Upon the upper benches sit the Censors in the Robes of Barons the first in the middle of the right hand bench and the second directly opposit to him on the other side Upon the rest of the Benches sit the Knights who if they be call'd to the Urns distributing themselves by the Figures com in equal files either by the first Seat which consists of the two upper Benches on either side or by the second Seat consisting of the two lower Benches on either side beginning also at the upper or at the lower ends of the same according to the Lot wherby they are call'd for which end the Benches are open and ascended at either end with easy stairs and large passages The rest of the Ballot is conformable to that of the Tribe the Censors of the House sitting at the side Urns and the youngest Magistrat of the Signory at the middle the Urns being plac'd before the Throne and prepar'd according to the number of the Magistrats to be at that time chosen by the Rules already given to the Censors of the Tribes But before the Benches of the Knights on either side stands one being shorter and at the upper end of this sit the two Tribuns of the Horse At the upper end of the other the two Tribuns of the Foot in their Arms the rest of the Benches being cover'd by the Judges of the Land in their Robes But these Magistrats have no Suffrage nor the Tribuns tho they derive their presence in the Senat from the Romans nor the Judges tho they derive theirs from the antient Senat of Oceana Every Monday this Assembly sits of course at other times if there be occasion any Magistrat of the House by giving order for the Bell or by his Lictor or Ensignbearer calls a Senat. And every Magistrat or Knight during his Session has the Title Place and Honor of a Duke Earl Baron or Knight respectively And every one that has born the same Magistracy by his third Session has his respective Place and Title during the term of his Life which is all the Honor confer'd by this Commonwealth except upon the Master of the Ceremonys the Master of the Horse and the King of the Heralds who are Knights by their places And thus you have the face of the Senat in which there is scarce any Feature that is not Roman or Venetian nor do the Horns of the Crescent extend themselves much unlike those of the Sanhedrim on either hand of the Prince and of the Father of that Senat. But upon Beauty in which every Man has his phansy we will not otherwise philosophize than to remember that there is somthing more than decency in the Robe of a Judg that would not be well spar'd from the Bench and that the gravest Magistrat to whom you can commit the Sword of Justice will find a quickness in the Spurs of Honor which if they be not laid to Virtue will lay themselves to that which may rout a Commonwealth Constitution of the Senat. TO com from the Face of the Senat to the Constitution and Use of the Parts It is contain'd in the peculiar Orders And the Orders which are peculiar to the Senat are either of Election or Instruction ELECTIONS in the Senat are of three sorts Annual Biennial and Extraordinary ANNUAL Elections are perform'd by the Schedule call'd the Tropic And the Tropic consists of two parts the one containing the Magistrats and the other the Councils to be yearly elected The Schedule or Tropic of the Magistrats is as follows in 15. Order Tropic of the Magistrats THE fifteenth ORDER requiring That upon every Monday next insuing the last of March the Knights of the Annual Galaxys taking their places in the Senat be call'd the third Region of the same and that the House having dismist the first Region and receiv'd the third procede to election of the Magistrats contain'd in the first part of the Tropic by the insuing Schedule The Lord Strategus Annual Magistrats The Lord Orator The first Censor The second Censor The third Commissioner of the Seal Triennial Magistrats The third Commissioner of the Treasury THE Annual Magistrats provided that no one Man bears above one of those Honors during the term of one Session may be elected out of any Region But the Triennial Magistrats may not be elected out of any other than the third Region only lest the term of their Session expire before that of their Honor and it being unlawful for a Man to bear Magistracy any longer than he is therto qualify'd by the Election of the People cause a Fraction in the Rotation of this Commonwealth Of the Strategus THE Strategus is first President of the Senat and General of the Army if it be commanded to march in which case there shall be a second Strategus elected to be first President of the Senat and General of the second Army and if this also be commanded to march a third Strategus shall be chosen and so on as long as the Commonwealth sends forth Armys Of the Orator THE Lord Orator is the second and more peculiar President of the Senat to whom it appertains to keep the House to Orders Of the Censors THE Censors wherof the first by consequence of his Election is Chancellor of the Vniversity of Clio and the second of that of Calliope are Presidents of the Council for Religion and Magistrats to whom it belongs to keep the House to the order of the Ballot They are also Inquisitors into the ways and means of acquiring Magistracy and have power to punish indirect procedings in the same by removing a Knight or Magistrat out of the House under appeal to the Senat. Of the Commissioners of the Seal THE Commissioners of the Seal being three wherof the third is annually chosen out of the third Region are Judges in Chancery Of the Commissioners of the Treasury THE Commissioners of the Treasury being three wherof the third is annually chosen out of the third Region are Judges in the Exchequer and every Magistrat of this Schedule has right to propose to the Senat. Of the Signory BVT the Strategus with the six Commissioners are the Signory