The Common-wealth of Oceana

1656 Harrington, James (1611-1677). The Common-wealth of Oceana. London: Ptd. by J. Streater for Livewell Chapman. Rpt. in Works. The Oceana and Other Works. With an Account of His Life by John Toland (London: Ptd. for T. Beket, and T. Cadell, and T. Evans, 1771), 31-210; rpt. Aalen, Germany: Scientia Verlag, 1963; as James Harrington’s Oceana. Edited with Notes by S. B. Liljegren. Heidelberg, Germany: Carl Winters Universitätsbuchhandlung, 1924, with a Preface on vii-x noting the failures of previous editions after Toland’s, an Introduction on xi-xv, a Bibliography on xvi-xxviii, the text on 1-226, and Notes on the text on 227-372; in The Political Works of James Harrington. Ed. J.G.A. Pocock (Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press, 1977), 155-359, with explanatory footnotes, an Historical Introduction on 1-152, with 6-76 specifically on Oceana; rpt. in The Commonwealth of Oceana and A System of Politics. Ed. J.G.A. Pocock (Cambridge, Eng.: Cambridge University Press, 1992), 1-266, with explanatory footnotes and an Introduction on vii-xxvi. DLC

Eutopia. Classic work on the reform of England stressing the need for a balanced constitution. Argues for an “agrarian law”, a limit on the size landed estates to reduce inequality. The Introduction contains a two page utopia suggesting that Jews should be settled in Ireland. See also 1660 Harrington and Decrees and Orders of the Committee of Safety of Oceana. London: Ptd. 1659, a satire on Oceana.