Harrington,

Harrington, JAMES, author of the Oceana, a celebrated work, half romance, half treatise on political philosophy, written for the purpose of setting forth the best form of government for a commonwealth. The son of Sir S. Harrington of Exton, in Rutlandshire, he was born in January 1611, studied at Oxford under Chillingworth, and then spent some years on the Continent. In 1646, although a republican by conviction, Harrington was appointed one of the personal attendants of Charles I., and on the king's execution accompanied him to the scaffold. It was after this event that the Oceana was written; it was published in 1656. The salient points of the political doctrines therein expounded are these: the real basis of power is property, especially landed property; accordingly landed property should be distributed and held in such a way that no one person should derive from it more than a fixed amount of revenue; the rulers of the commonwealth should be changed every three years, their places being taken by others, elected by ballot. After the Restoration Harrington was arrested for alleged conspiracy, and during a severe imprisonment lost his reason. He died at Westminster, 11th September 1677. His writings, consisting, besides the Oceana, principally of essays, &c. in defence of his magnum opus, were first edited by Toland in 1700. The Oceana was reprinted by Henry Morley in 1887.