The Commonwealth of Oceana

Name: The Commonwealth of Oceana
Author: Harrington, James

Harrington, James

Utopias -- Early works to 1800

Per Annum
     The lord strategus sitting......            £2,000
     The lord orator......                        2,000
     The three commissioners of the seal...       4,500
     The three commissioners of the treasury...   4,500
     The two censors....                          3,000
     The 290 knights, at £500 a man.....        145,000
     The four ambassadors-in-ordinary....        12,000
     The Council of War for intelligence....      3,000
     The master of the ceremonies.....              500
     The master of the horse......                  500
     His substitute.....                            150
     The twelve ballotins for their winter liveries 240

     For summer liveries...                     120

     For their board-wages......                480
     For the keeping of three coaches of state,

     twenty-four coach-horses, with coachmen

     and postilions..........                1,500
     For the grooms, and keeping of sixteen

     great horses for the master of the

     horse, and for the ballotins whom he

     is to govern and instruct in the art

     of riding..........                        480
     The twenty secretaries of the Parliament...  2,000
     The twenty doorkeepers, who are to attend

     with pole-axes,

     For their coats.......                     200

     For their board-wages....                1,000
     The twenty messengers, which are trumpeters,

     For their coats....                        200

     For their board-wages.....               1,000
     For ornament of the masters of the youth...  5,000

         Sum                               £189,370

“Out of the personal estates of every man, who at his death bequeaths
not above forty shillings to the muster of that hundred wherein it lies,
shall be levied one per cent. till the solid revenue of the muster of
the hundred amounts to £50 per annum for the prizes of the youth.

“The twelve ballotins are to be divided into three regions, according to
the course of the Senate; the four of the first region to be elected at
the tropic out of such children as the knights of the same shall offer,
not being under eleven years of age, nor above thirteen. And their
election shall be made by the lot at an urn set by the sergeant of the
house for that purpose in the hall of the Pantheon. The livery of the
commonwealth for the fashion or the color may be changed at the election
of the strategus according to his fancy. But every knight during his
session shall be bound to give to his footman, or some one of his
footmen, the livery of the commonwealth.

“The prerogative tribe shall receive as follows:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Commonwealth of OceanaHarrington, James

Philosophy

The Commonwealth of Oceana

Harrington, James

Utopias -- Early works to 1800

Per Annum
     The lord strategus sitting......            £2,000
     The lord orator......                        2,000
     The three commissioners of the seal...       4,500
     The three commissioners of the treasury...   4,500
     The two censors....                          3,000
     The 290 knights, at £500 a man.....        145,000
     The four ambassadors-in-ordinary....        12,000
     The Council of War for intelligence....      3,000
     The master of the ceremonies.....              500
     The master of the horse......                  500
     His substitute.....                            150
     The twelve ballotins for their winter liveries 240

     For summer liveries...                     120

     For their board-wages......                480
     For the keeping of three coaches of state,

     twenty-four coach-horses, with coachmen

     and postilions..........                1,500
     For the grooms, and keeping of sixteen

     great horses for the master of the

     horse, and for the ballotins whom he

     is to govern and instruct in the art

     of riding..........                        480
     The twenty secretaries of the Parliament...  2,000
     The twenty doorkeepers, who are to attend

     with pole-axes,

     For their coats.......                     200

     For their board-wages....                1,000
     The twenty messengers, which are trumpeters,

     For their coats....                        200

     For their board-wages.....               1,000
     For ornament of the masters of the youth...  5,000

         Sum                               £189,370

“Out of the personal estates of every man, who at his death bequeaths
not above forty shillings to the muster of that hundred wherein it lies,
shall be levied one per cent. till the solid revenue of the muster of
the hundred amounts to £50 per annum for the prizes of the youth.

“The twelve ballotins are to be divided into three regions, according to
the course of the Senate; the four of the first region to be elected at
the tropic out of such children as the knights of the same shall offer,
not being under eleven years of age, nor above thirteen. And their
election shall be made by the lot at an urn set by the sergeant of the
house for that purpose in the hall of the Pantheon. The livery of the
commonwealth for the fashion or the color may be changed at the election
of the strategus according to his fancy. But every knight during his
session shall be bound to give to his footman, or some one of his
footmen, the livery of the commonwealth.

“The prerogative tribe shall receive as follows:

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Commonwealth of Oceana

The Commonwealth of Oceana

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