THE ways AND means Whereby an EQUAL & LASTING COMMONWEATH May be suddenly Introduced and Perfectly founded with the Free Consent and Actual Confirmation of the WHOLE PEOPLE of ENGLAND. BY JAMES HARRINGTON.  
Scire tuum nihil est, nisi te scire hoc,  
Sciat alter.  Pers. 
LONDON, Printed for J. S. 1660.   

Against the Scandal in cases of this nature, of Immodesty so called.  

Vn coup.  
Who, nought refunding, ever hoards, doth steal:  
The spend-thrift's truer to the Commonweal.  
Let me impoverish through reproached brags,  
So that my Country may but fill her bags.   

Encore.  
I do not pack, nor cog my Dice,  
But show my Game; is this a vice!  
Or where's the fault when all is done,  
If I have lost, or you have won.    

The ways and means whereby an equal and lasting commonwealth may be suddenly introduced, and perfectly founded, with the free consent and actual Confirmation of the Whole People of England.  
A Word fitly spoken is like apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver.  
The Desire of the People of England now runneth strongly to have a Free Parliament.  
Let there be a Free Parliament.  
To the end, that the People may be most equally represented, or that the Parliament may be Freest.  
Let there be a new Division of England and Wales, with as much equality as may stand with convenience into fifty Shires.  
Let every Shire elect annually two Knights to be of one House, and seven Deputies to be of another House of Parliament, for the term of three years. For the first year only, Let the Deputies in each Division be elected triple, that is, seven for the term of one year, seven for the term of two years, and seven for the term of three years: The like for the Knights, save only that the present Parliament remain; that is, let two Knights in each Division be elected the first year only for the term of one year, two other Knights at the same time for the term of two years, and let the present Parliament be the tri●nnal part of the knight's House for the first Election.  
The House of Knights and the House of Deputies being assembled, let the House of knight's debate and propose.  
Let what is proposed by the House of Knights be promulgated for the space of six weeks.  
Promulgation being thus made, let the House of Deputies meet, and give their result upon the Proposition.  
Let what was thus proposed by the Senate or House of Knights, and resolved by the People, or House of Deputies be the Law.  
In this constitution these Councils must of necessity contain the Wisdom, and the Interest of the Nation.  
In this method, debate must of necessity be mature.  
If it be according unto the wisdom and the Interest of the Nation upon mature debate, that there be a King, let there be a King.  
If it be according unto the wisdom and the Interest of the Nation upon mature debate, that there be a commonwealth; two Assemblies in this Order are actually a commonwealth, and so far a well ordered commonwealth that they are capacitated and inclined to reach unto themselves what ever furniture shall be further necessary in more particular Orders, which also is at hand.  
Till this or the like be done, the Line of the late King and the People must be fellow sufferers, in which case the impatience of the People must be for the restitution of that Line at all adventures.  
But this or the like being once done, immediately the Line of the late King and the People become Rivals, in which case they will never restore Monarchy.  
Will never, may some say? but if the Senate and the popular Assembly be both royalists, they both will and can restore Monarchy.  
Though both royalists, they neither will nor can; for let them that look no further than home, or self, say what they will, to affirm that a Senate and a popular Assembly thus constituted can procreate Monarchy, is to affirm that an Horse and a Mare can generate a Cat: That Wheat being rightly fowen may come up ●ea●e; or that a River in his natural channel may run upwards.  
In the present case of England, commonwealth's Men may fail through want of Art, but royalists must fail through want of Matter; the former may miss through impotence, the latter must through impossibility: Or where the State is purely popular, (that is) not overballanced by a Lord or Lords; let there be one Example, or one Reason given that there is, was, or ever can be Monarchy: There will be this when all fails, for the aftergame, though the work should fall, as is like enough, into the hands of royalists.  
Certain it is, that where any private Citizen or freeman might not (some way or other) propose, there never was a well ordered commonwealth.  
Upon this encouragement I offered this Paper to good hands, but it was, (according to the custom) thrown after me.  
So it went in the Protectors time, in every revolution since. La fortuna accieca gli animi de gli huomini, but that is atheism, that's Machiavil.  
Well, but now saith the Protectorian Family, O that we had set up the equal commonwealth; so say broken Parliaments and Statesmen, so say the sadly mistaken Sectaries; so say the cashiered Officers; so says he that would have no nay, but Oligarchy was a good word, and so will more say after these, except they learn to say after another, Aut reges non exigendi fuerunt, aut plebire, non verbo dandalibertas, either the Kings ought not to have been driven out, or the People to have their liberty not in word, but in deed; but that is Heathenism, that's Cicero; well this is Christian, if there will be no such saying, I would there might be no swearing.  
Feb. 6. 1659.  
FINIS.