James Harrington was the least-known of several early writers of utopian tracts. He wrote the fictional work "Oceana," but I knew little about Harrington until I came across this biography in John Aubrey's peculiar book "Brief Lives."
According to Aubrey, Harrington had a utopian fandom of followers who would meet in coffee houses to discuss his political concepts. John Aubrey himself was a member of this debating circle. He also claims that Harrington was standing on the scaffold when King Charles I was beheaded.
Harrington died quite senile, according to Aubrey, and he was often troubled by a mental illness in which he was convinced that his sweat transmuted into flies by some kind of spontaneous generation.
It was often said of Harrington that he had interesting ideas but wasn't much of a prose stylist, and every time I find one of these spiritual ancestors of science fiction, my heart goes out to them.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Commonwealth_of_Oceana
James Harrington (1611/2-1677).
James Harrington, esq.—he was borne the first Fryday in January Anno Domini 1611, near Northampton. Quaere Mr. Marvell's epitaph on him.
James Harrington[EN], esq., borne the first Fryday in January 1611, neer Northampton; the son of [Sir Sapcote] Harrington of ... in the countie of ..., by ..., daughter of Sir ... Samuel[1077], was borne at [Upton]. (Sir ... Samuel's house in Northamptonshire) anno....
He was a commoner of Trinity Colledge in Oxford. He travelled France, Italie, and the Netherlands. His genius lay chiefly towards the politiques and democraticall goverment.
He was much respected by the queen of Bohemia, who was bred up by the lord Harrington's lady, and she owned the kindness of the family.
Anno 1647, if not 6, he was by order of Parliament made one of his Majestie's Bedchamber, at Holmeby, &c. The king loved his company; only he would not endure to heare of a Commonwealth: and Mr. Harington passionately loved his majestie. Mr. Harrington and the king often disputed about goverment.
He was on the scaffold with the king when he was beheaded; and I have at these meetings oftentimes heard him speake of king Charles I with the greatest zeale and passion imaginable, and that his death gave him so great griefe that he contracted a disease by it; that never any thing did goe so neer to him.
Memorandum:—Mr. Herbert, the traveller, was th' other of his Bedchamber by order of Parliament, and was also on the scaffold.
He gave them both there some watches: vide Speech.
He made severall essayes in Poetry, viz. love-verses, &c., and translated ... booke of Virgill's Æn.; but his muse was rough, and Mr. Henry Nevill, an ingeniose and well-bred gentleman, a member of the House of Commons, and an excellent (but concealed) poet, was his great familiar and confident friend, and disswaded him from tampering in poetrie which he did invitâ Minervâ, and to improve his proper talent, viz. Politicall Reflections.
Whereupon he writ his Oceana, printed London . Mr. T. Hobbes was wont to say that Henry Nevill had a finger in that pye; and 'tis like enough. That ingeniose tractat, together with his and H. Nevill's smart discourses and inculcations, dayly at coffee-houses, made many proselytes.
In so much that, anno 1659, the beginning of Michaelmas-terme, he had every night a meeting at the (then) Turke's head, in the New Pallace-yard, where they take water, the next house to the staires, at one Miles's, where was made purposely a large ovall-table, with a passage in the middle for Miles to deliver his Coffee. About it sate his disciples, and the virtuosi.
The discourses in this kind were the most ingeniose, and smart, that ever I heard, or expect to heare, and bandied with great eagernesse: the arguments in the Parliament howse were but flatt to it.
He now printed a little pamphlet (4to) called Divers modells of Popular Government, printed by Daniel Jakeman; and then his partie desired him to print another little pamphlet called The Rota, 4to.
Here we had (very formally) a ballotting-box, and balloted how things should be caried, by way of tentamens. The room was every evening[1081] full as it could be cramm'd. I cannot now recount the whole number:—
Mr. Cyriack Skinner, an ingeniose young gentleman, scholar to John Milton, was chaire-man. There was Mr. Henry Nevill; major John Wildman; Mr. Wooseley, of ..., Staffordshire; Mr. Coke, grandson of Sir Edward; Sir William Poultney (chaireman); [Sir John Hoskins; J Arderne;] Mr. Maximilian Petty, a very able man in these matters, and who had more then once turn'd the councill-board of Oliver Cromwell, his kinsman; Mr. Michael Malett; Mr. Carteret, of Garnesey; Cradoc, a merchant; Mr. Henry Ford; major ... Venner; Mr. Edward Bagshaw; [Thomas Mariet, esq.[1084];] Croon, M.D.; cum multis aliis now slipt out of my memorie.
Dr. Robert Wood[EP] was of the Rota.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 11.
which were, as auditors, severall, e.g. the earle Tirconnel; Sir John Penruddock; etc.; Mr. John Birkenhead; as myselfe.... Stafford, esq., as antagonists.
Several officers.
We many times adjourned to the Rhenish-wine howse. One time Mr. Stafford and his gang came in, in drink, from the taverne, and affronted the Junto (Mr. Stafford tore their orders and minutes). The soldiers offerd to kick them downe stayres, but Mr. Harrington's moderation and persuasion hindred it.
The doctrine was very taking, and the more because, as to human foresight, there was no possibility of the king's returne. But the greatest part of the Parliament-men perfectly hated this designe of rotation by ballotting; for they were cursed tyrants, and in love with their power, and 'twas death to them, except 8 or 10, to admitt of this way, for H. Nevill proposed it in the Howse, and made it out to them, that except they embraced that modell of goverment they would be ruind— sed quos perdere vult Jupiter etc., hos, &c.
Pride of senators for life is insufferable; and they were able to grind any one they owed ill will to to powder; they were hated by the armie and their countrey they represented, and their name and memorie stinkes—'twas worse then tyranny. Now this modell upon rotation was:—that the third part of the Senate should rote out by ballot every yeare, so that every ninth yeare the Howse would be wholly alterd; no magistrate to continue above 3 yeares, and all to be chosen by ballot, then which manner of choice, nothing can be invented more faire and impartiall.
Well: this meeting continued Novemb., Dec., Jan., till Febr. 20 or 21; and then, upon the unexpected turne upon generall Monke's comeing-in, all these aierie modells vanished. Then 'twas not fitt, nay treason, to have donne such; but I well remember, he severall times (at the breaking-up) sayd, 'Well, the king will come in. Let him come-in, and call a Parliament of the greatest Cavaliers in England, so they be men of estates, and let them sett but 7 yeares, and they will all turn Common-wealthe's men.'
He was wont to find fault with the constitution of our goverment, that 'twas by jumps, and told a story of a cavaliero he sawe at the Carnival in Italie, who rode on an excellent managed horse that with a touch of his toe would jumpe quite round. One side of his habit was Spanish, the other French; which sudden alteration of the same person pleasantly surprized the spectators. 'Just so,' said he, ''tis with us. When no Parliament, then absolute monarchie; when a Parliament, then it runnes to Commonwealth.'
Anno Domini 1660, he was committed prisoner to the Tower, where he was kept ...; then to Portsey castle. His durance in these prisons (he being a gentleman of a high spirit and hot head) was the procatractique cause of his deliration or madnesse; which was not outragious, for he would discourse rationally enough and be very facetious company, but he grew to have a phancy that his perspiration turned to flies, and sometimes to bees—ad cætera sobrius; and he had a timber versatile built in Mr. Hart's garden (opposite to St. James's parke) to try the experiment.
He would turne it to the sun, and sitt towards it; then he had his fox-tayles there to chase away and massacre all the flies and bees that were to be found there, and then shutt his chassees. Now this experiment was only to be tryed in warme weather, and some flies would lye so close in the cranies and the cloath (with which it was hung) that they would not presently shew themselves. A quarter of an hower after perhaps, a fly or two, or more, might be drawen-out of the lurking holes by the warmeth; and then he would crye out, 'Doe not you see it apparently that these come from me?' 'Twas the strangest sort of madnes that ever I found in any one: talke of any thing els, his discourse would be very ingeniose and pleasant.
Anno ... he married to his old sweet-heart Mris ... Dayrell, of ..., a comely and discreete ladie. The motto to his seale, which was party per pale baron et femme Harrington and Dayrell was.... It happening so, from some private reasons, that he could not enjoy his deare in the flower and heate of his youth, he would never lye with her, but loved and admired her dearly: for she was vergentibus annis when he maried her, and had lost her sweetenesse.
His wife was ... Dayrell.
Round about his seale, which was party per pale baron and femme, were these words, scil. In longum coiere faces.
He was of a middling stature, well-trussed man, strong and thick, well-sett, sanguine, quick-hott-fiery hazell eie, thick moyst curled haire, as you may see by his picture. In his conversation very friendly, and facetious, and hospitable.
For above twenty yeares before he died (except his imprisonment) he lived in the Little-Ambry (a faire house on the left hand), which lookes into the Deane's-yard in Westminster. In the upper story he had a pretty gallery, which looked into the yard (over ... court) where he commonly dined, and meditated, and tooke his tobacco.
His amici were:—Henry Nevill, esq., who never forsooke him to his dyeing day. Though a whole yeare before he died, his memorie and discourse were taken away by a disease ('twas a sad sight to see such a sample of mortality, in one whom I lately knew, a brisque, lively cavaliero), this gentleman, whom I must never forget for his constant friendship, payd his visits as duly and respectfully as when his friend (J. H.) was in the prime of his understanding—a true friend.
—-[LXXVIII.]Mr. Andrew Marvell, who made an epitaph for him, which quaere.
[LXXVIII.]
Mr. Andrew Marvell made a good epitaph for him, but would have given offence.
—His uncle, ... Samuel, esq.;
—his son, Mr. ... Samuel, an excellent architect, that has built severall delicate howses (Sir Robert Henley's, Sir Thomas Grosvenor's in Cheshire);
—Sir Thomas Dolman;
—Mr. Roger L'Estrange;
—Dr. John Pell;
—J. A.
He was wont to say that 'Right reason in contemplation is vertue in action, et vice versa. Vivere secundum naturam is to live vertuously, the Divines will not have it so'; and that 'when the Divines would have us be an inch above vertue, we fall an ell belowe it.'
These verses he made, about anno ..., ....
Upon the state of nature.
The state of nature never was so raw,
But oakes bore acornes and ther was a law
By which the spider and the silkeworme span;
Each creature had her birthright, and must man
Be illegitimate! have no child's parte!
If reason had no wit, how came in arte?
ingenium i.e. quoddam ingenitum.
By Mr. James Harrington, esq., autor Oceanae, whose handwriting this is.
]Hic jacet | Jacobus Harrington, armiger | filius maximus natu | Sapcotis Harrington de Rand | in comitatu Lincolniae, equitis aurati | et Janae (matris ejus) filiae | Gulielmi Samuel de Upton in | comitatu Northampton, militis | qui | obiit septimo die Septembris | aetatis suae sexagesimo sexto | anno Domini 1677. | Nec virtutis nec animi dotes | arrha licet aeterni in animam amoris Dei | corruptione eximere queant corpus | Gen. iii. 19 | Pulveris enim es et reverteris | in pulverem |:—
author of the Oceana — he lyes buried in the chancell of St. Margarite's Church at Westminster, the next grave to the illustrious Sir Walter Raleigh, under the south side of the altar where the priest stands.
Pray remember to looke upon Mr. James Harrington's life: upon my alterations there. It was a philosophicall or politicall club, where gentlemen came at night to divert themselves with political discourse, and to see the way of balloting. It began at Miles's coffee-house about the middle of Michaelmas-terme, and was given over upon general Monke's comeing-in.
Sir John Hoskyns, etc., deane Arderne, etc., would not like to have their names seen.
