Of four hundred members which represented England, two hundred and seventy were chosen by the counties.

The rest were elected by London, and the more considerable corporations.

The lower populace too, so easily guided or deceived, were excluded from the elections: an estate of two hundred pounds' value was necessary to entitle any one to a vote.

The elections of this parliament were conducted with perfect freedom; and, excepting that such of the royalists as had borne arms against the parliament and all their sons were excluded, a more fair representation of the people could not be desired or expected.

Thirty members were returned from Scotland; as many from Ireland.
The protector seems to have been disappointed, when he found that all these precautions, which were probably nothing but covers to his ambition, had not procured him the confidence of the public.