County which are Called knights of y^e shire, to represent them in this assembly. All that are free-holders of a County has a voice to Choose. The Corporations and Burroughs Chuse by their freemen also, but because of the peculiar Customs and priviledges in each place it makes some variation. Those that have most of voices which are Legal to Chuse, the Bailiff or major of the place or sherriffs return up to the Crown office, from whence the precept Came, the Name of such persons so Chosen to sitt in the parliament. This was an Excellent Constitution and order when kept to its order that none were Chosen but the Gentlemen of the shire or town Living there, or Else the Chiefe of their Corporation that Lived there, by w^{ch} meanes they were fully instructed what was for the weale and good of Each place they serv’d for, and so Could promote designes for their advantage and trade and represent their Grievances to be redress’d, they also know the strength and riches of the nation and soe Could with a more Equal hand Lay y^e taxes on all answerable to their ability; but instead of this the nation is so Corrupted that what with hopes of prefferrment at Court or being skreen’d by their priviledges from paying their debts, which is thus: dureing the sessions or forty dayes before or after, such as are parliament men Cannot be arrested or troubled for money they owe, y^e reason at first was well grounded that these persons were known to be, and in Case a troublesome person had money due and had been delay’d by some Extraordinary Cause that this troublesome person might find such a one at the parliament house might Lay him in prison and so hinder y^e buissness of the nation. But this is abused to a great prejudice of the subject, men run out of their Estates strive to get into the Parliament to be skreen’d from their Creditors; and how Can those that are worth Little or nothing be good disposers of the kingdom treasure or priviledges, or stand up for them, but by this there is such bribeing by debauching by drinke and giving them mony, y^t Instead of the parliament men which use to be Chosen to be the Countrys representatives and servants, to whome they allowed soe much a day for their expences in London from their homes while attending the parliament, that now those that would be parliament men spend prodigious summs of money to be Chosen. Some to serve for knights of y^e shire have spent 1000 and 1500^{lb} and for Corporation and Burroughs in proportion, so y^t they Come in with design to be bribed by the Court or any body y^t has any buisness before them, y^t so they may be reemburz’d and may gaine more—some place at Least they Expect and these Care Little for y^e good of y^e nation, being for the most part perfect strangers to the places for whome they serve, and consequently to all their Circumstances and so can appeare for none of them to their advantage, indeed its their own game they mainly aime and