na would
be put a petit companion. But the Prince of this commonwealth is the
terror and judge of them all.

That which my Lord Archon now minded most was the agrarian, upon which
debate he incessantly thrust the Senate and the Council of State, to the
end it might be planted upon some firm root, as the main point and basis
of perpetuity to the commonwealth.

And these are some of the most remarkable passages that happened in the
first year of this government. About the latter end of the second, the
army was disbanded, but the taxes continued at L30,000 a month, for
three years and a half. By which means a piece of artillery was planted,
and a portion of land to the value of L50 a year purchased for the
maintenance of the games, and of the prize arms forever, in each
hundred.

With the eleventh year of the commonwealth, the term of the excise,
allotted for the maintenance of the Senate and the people and for the
raising of a public revenue, expired. By which time the Exchequer, over
and above the annual salaries, amounting to L300,000 accumulating every
year out of L1,000,000 income, L700,000 in banco, brought it with a
product of the sum, rising to about L8,000,000 in the whole: whereby at
several times they had purchased to the Senate and the people L400,000
per annum solid revenue; which, besides the lands held in Panopea,
together with the perquisites of either province, was held sufficient
for a public revenue. Nevertheless, taxes being now wholly taken off,
the excise, of no great burden (and many specious advantages not vainly
proposed in the heightening of the public revenue), was very cheerfully
established by the Senate and the people, for the term of ten years
longer, and the same course being taken, the public revenue was found in
the one-and-twentieth year of the commonwealth to be worth L1,000,000
in good land. Whereupon the excise was so abolished for the present,
as withal resolved to be the best, the most fruitful and easy way of
raising taxes, according to future exigencies.

But the revenue being now such as was able to be a yearly purchaser,
gave a jealousy that by this means the balance of the commonwealth,
consisting in private fortunes, might be eaten out, whence this year is
famous for that law whereby the Senate and the people, forbidding any
further purchase of lands to the public within the dominions of Oceana
and the adjacent provinces, put the agrarian upon the commonwealth
herself. The