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
don After considerably improving his Knowlege in the University he was more particularly fitting himself for his intended Travels by learning several Foren Languages when his Father dy'd leaving him under Age. Tho the Court of Wards was still in being yet by the Soccage Tenure of his Estate he was at liberty to chuse his own Guardian and accordingly pitcht upon his Grandmother the Lady SAMUEL a Woman eminent for her Wisdom and Virtue Of her and the rest of his Governors he soon obtain'd a permission to satisfy his eager desire of seeing som other parts of the World where he cou'd make such Observations on Men and Manners as might best fit him in due time to serve and adorn his Native Country 3. HIS first step was into Holland then the principal School of Martial Disciplin and what toucht him more sensibly a place wonderfully flourishing under the influence of their Liberty which they had so lately asserted by breaking the Yoke of a severe Master the Spanish Tyrant And here no doubt it was that he begun to make Government the Subject of his Meditations for he was often heard to say that before he left England he knew no more of Monarchy Anarchy Aristocracy Democracy Oligarchy or the like than as hard words wherof he learnt the signification in his Dictionary For som months he listed himself in my Lord CRAVEN'S Regiment and Sir ROBERT STONE' 's during which time being much at the Hague he had the opportunity of further accomplishing himself in two Courts namely those of the Prince of Orange and the Queen of Bohemia the Daughter of our K. JAMES I. then a Fugitive in Holland her Husband having bin abandon'd by his Father in Law betray'd by the King of Spain and stript of all his Territorys by the Emperor This excellent Princess entertain'd him with extraordinary favor and civility on the account of his Uncle the Lord HARRINGTON who had bin her Governor but particularly for the sake of his own Merit The Prince Elector also courted him into his Service ingag'd him to attend him in a Journy he made to the Court of Denmark and after his return from travelling committed the chief management of all his Affairs in England to his care Nor were the young Princesses less delighted with his Company his Conversation being always extremely pleasant as well as learn'd and polite to which good qualitys those unfortunat Ladys were far from being strangers as appears by the Letters of the great Philosopher CARTESIUS and by the other Writers of those times 4. THO he found many Charms inviting his longer stay in this place yet none were strong enough to keep him from pursuing his main design of travelling and therfore he went next thro Flanders into France where having perfected himself in the Language seen what deserv'd his curiosity and made such Remarks on their Government as will best appear in his Works he remov'd thence into Italy It happen'd to be then as it is now the Year of Jubilee He always us'd to admire the great dexterity wherwith the Popish Clergy could maintain their severe Government over so great a part of the World and that Men otherwise reasonable enough should be inchanted out of their Senses as well as cheated out of their Mony by these ridiculous Tricks of Religious Pageantry Except the small respect he shew'd to the Miracles they daily told him were perform'd in their Churches he did in all other things behave himself very prudently and inoffensively But going on a Candlemass day with several other Protestants to see the Pope perform the Ceremony of consecrating Wax Lights and perceiving that none could obtain any of those Torches except such as kist the Pope's To which he expos'd to 'em for that purpose tho he had a great mind to one of the Lights yet he would not accept it on so hard a condition The rest of his Companions were not so scrupulous and after their return complain'd of his squeamishness to the King who telling him he might have don it only as a respect to a temporal Prince he presently reply'd that since he had the honor to kiss his Majesty's hand he thought it beneath him to kiss any other Prince's foot The King was pleas'd with his answer and did afterwards admit him to be one of his Privy Chamber extraordinary in which quality he attended him in his first Expedition against the Scots 5. HE prefer'd Venice to all other places in Italy as he did its Government to all those of the whole World it being in his Opinion immutable by any external or internal Causes and to finish only with Mankind of which Assertion you may find various proofs alleg'd in his Works Here he furnish'd himself with a Collection of all the valuable Books in the Italian Language especially treating of Politics and contracted acquaintance with every one of whom he might receive any benefit by instruction or otherwise 6. AFTER having thus seen Italy France the Low Countrys Denmark and som parts of Germany he return'd home into England to the great joy of all his Friends and Acquaintance But he was in a special manner the Darling of his Relations of whom he acknowleg'd to receive reciprocal satisfaction His Brothers and Sisters were now pretty well grown which made it his next care so to provide for each of 'em as might render 'em independent of others and easy to themselves His Brother WILLIAM he bred to be a Merchant in which calling he became a considerable Man he was a good Architect and was so much notic'd for his ingenious Contrivances that he was receiv'd a Fellow of the Royal Society How his other Brothers were dispos'd we mention'd in the beginuing of this Discourse He took all the care of a Parent in the education of his Sisters and wou'd himself make large Discourses to 'em concerning the Reverence that was due to Almighty God the benevolence they were oblig'd to shew all mankind how they ought to furnish their minds with knowlege by reading of useful Books and to shew the goodness of their disposition by a constant practice of Virtue In a word he taught 'em the true Rules of humanity and decency always inculcating to 'em that good Manners did not so much consist in a fashionable carriage which ought not to be neglected as in becoming words and actions an obliging address and a modest behavior He treated his Mother in Law as if she were his own and made no distinction between her Children and the rest of his Brothers and Sisters which good Example had such effects on 'em all that no Family has bin more remarkable for their mutual friendship 7. HE was of a very liberal and compassionat nature nor could he indure to see a Friend want any thing he might spare and when the Relief that was necessary exceded the bounds of his Estate he persuaded his Sisters not only to contribute themselves but likewise to go about to the rest of their Relations
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
safe company Lord. WHAT time was it Har. IN Venison time I am sure for we had a good Venison pasty Lord. DO you know one PORTMAN Har. NO my Lord I never heard of his name before Sir G. C. THIS is strange Lord. COM deal ingenuously you had better confess the things Har. MY Lord you do not look upon me for I saw he did not firmly I pray look upon me Do you not know an innocent face from a guilty one com you do my Lord every one dos My Lord you are great Men you com from the King you are the Messengers of Death Lord. IS that a small matter at which my Lord gave a shrug Har. IF I be a Malefactor I am no old Malefactor why am not I pale why do not I tremble why dos not my tongue falter why have you not taken me tripping My Lord these are unavoidable symtoms of guilt Do you find any such thing in me Lord. NO which he spoke with a kind of amazement and then added I have said all that I think I have to say Har. MY Lord but I have not Lord. COM then Har. THIS plainly is a practice a wicked practice a practice for innocent Blood and as weak a one as it is wicked Ah my Lord if you had taken half the pains to examin the Guilty that you have don to examin the Innocent you had found it it could not have escap'd you Now my Lord consider if this be a practice what kind of persons you are that are thus far made instrumental in the hands of wicked men Nay whither will wickedness go Is not the King's Authority which should be sacred made instrumental My Lord for your own sake the King's sake for the Lord's sake let such Villanys be found out and punish'd At this my Lord LAUDERDALE as was thought somwhat out of countenance rose up and fumbling with his hand upon the Table said Lord. WHY if it be as you say they deserve punishment enough but otherwise look it will com severely upon you Har. MY Lord I accepted of that condition before Lord. COM Mr. Vice-Chamberlain it is late Har. MY Lord now if I might I could answer the Preamble Lord. COM say and so he sat down again Har. MY Lord in the Preamble you charge me with being eminent in Principles contrary to the King's Government and the Laws of this Nation Som my Lord have aggravated this saying that I being a privat man have bin so mad as to meddle with Politics what had a privat man to do with Government My Lord there is not any public Person not any Magistrat that has written in the Politics worth a button All they that have bin excellent in this way have bin privat men as privat men my Lord as my self There is PLATO there is ARISTOTLE there is LIVY there is MACCHIAVEL My Lord I can sum up ARISTOTLE'S Politics in a very few words he says there is the barbarous Monarchy such a one where the People have no Votes in making the Laws he says there is the Heroic Monarchy such a one where the People have their Votes in making the Laws and then he says there is Democracy and affirms that a man cannot be said to have Liberty but in a Democracy only MY Lord LAUDERDALE who thus far had bin very attentive at this shew'd som impatience Har. I SAY ARISTOTLE says so I have not said so much And under what Prince was it Was it not under ALEXANDER the greatest Prince then in the World I beseech you my Lord did ALEXANDER hang up ARISTOTLE did he molest him LIVY for a Commonwealth is one of the fullest Authors did not he write under AUGUSTUS CAESAR did CAESAR hang up LIVY did he molest him MACCHIAVEL what a Commonwealthsman was he but he wrote under the Medici when they were Princes in Florence did they hang up MACCHIAVEL or did they molest him I have don no otherwise than as the greatest Politicians the King will do no otherwise than as the greatest Princes But my Lord these Authors had not that to say for themselves that I have I did not write under a Prince I wrote under a Usurper OLIVER He having started up into the Throne his Officers as pretending to be for a Commonwealth kept a murmuring at which he told them that he knew not what they meant nor themselves but let any of them shew him what they meant by a Commonwealth or that there was any such thing they should see that he sought not himself the Lord knew he sought not himself but to make good the Cause Upon this som sober men came to me and told me if any man in England could shew what a Commonwealth was it was my self Upon this persuasion I wrote and after I had written OLIVER never answer'd his Officers as he had don before therfore I wrote not against the King's Government And for the Law if the Law could have punish'd me OLIVER had don it therfore my Writing was not obnoxious to the Law After OLIVER the Parlament said they were a Commonwealth I said they were not and prov'd it insomuch that the Parlament accounted me a Cavalier and one that had no other design in my writing than to bring in the King and now the King first of any man makes me a Roundhead Lord. THESE things are out of doors if you be no Plotter the King dos not reflect upon your Writings AND so rising up they went out my Lord being at the head of the stairs I said to him My Lord there is one thing more you tax me with Ingratitude to the King who had suffer'd me to live undisturb'd truly my Lord had I bin taken right by the King it had by this Example already given bin no more than my due But I know well enough I have bin mistaken by the King the King therfore taking me for no Friend and yet using me not as an Enemy is such a thing as I have mention'd to all I have convers'd with as a high Character of Ingenuity and Honor in the King's Nature Lord. I AM glad you have had a sense of it and so went down Har. MY Lord it is my duty to wait on you no farther 34. NOTWITHSTANDING the apparent Innocence of our Author he was still detain'd a close Prisoner and Chancellor HIDE at a Conference of the Lords and Commons charg'd him with being concern'd in a Plot wherof one and thirty persons were the chief mâ—nagers after this manner That they met in Bowstreet Coventgarden in St. Mâ—rtins le grand at the Mill Bank and in other places and that they were of seven different Partys or Interests as three for the Commonwealth three for the Long Parlament three for the City three for the Purchasers three for the Disbanded Army three for the Independents and three for the Fifthmonarchy men That their first Consideration was how to agree on the choice of Parlamentmen against the insuing Session and that a special care