Published in 1656, The Oceana is a political treatise by English philosopher James Harrington. Influenced by the works of Plato and Machiavelli, Harrington's book proposes a unique form of government that he calls an 'empire of laws and not of men.' Accompanied by notes and commentaries by John Toland, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in political theory and philosophy.This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it.This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.