Their fidelity to the State was incorruptible.

No intrigue, no combination of rivals could deprive them of the confidence of their Sovereign."-- MACAULAY, _Burleigh, his Times._ [49] "The Tudor monarchs exercised freely their power of creating boroughs by charter.

They used their Parliaments, and had to find means of controlling them.

In the creation of 'pocket' or 'rotten' boroughs, Queen Elizabeth was probably the worst offender.

She had much influence in her Duchy of Cornwall, and many of the Cornish boroughs which obtained such a scandalous reputation in later times were created by her for the return of those whom the lords of her council would consider 'safe' men."-- ILBERT, _Parliament._ [50] Elizabeth's popularity steadily diminished in her last years.