If any gentleman was very troublesome he was cited before the Privy Council, interrogated, reprimanded, and sent to meditate on his undutiful conduct in the Tower.

The Commons did their best to protect themselves by keeping their deliberations secret, by excluding strangers, by making it a crime to repeat out of doors what had passed within doors.

But these precautions were of small avail.

In so large an assembly there were always talebearers ready to carry the evil report of their brethren to the palace.

To oppose the Court was therefore a service of serious danger.
In those days of course, there was little or no buying of votes.