At Tewkesbury, for example, the franchise was confined to thirteen persons.

Yet even this number was too large.
Hatred and fear had spread so widely through the community that it was scarcely possible to bring together in any town, by any process of packing, thirteen men on whom the court could absolutely depend.

It was rumoured that the majority of the new constituent body of Tewkesbury was animated by the same sentiment which was general throughout the nation, and would, when the decisive day should arrive, send true Protestants to Parliament.

The regulators in great wrath threatened to reduce the number of electors to three.

[346] Meanwhile the great majority of the boroughs firmly refused to give up their privileges.