The Copy of a LETTER Presented BY A MEMBER OF THE COMMONS House of Parliament; CONCERNING DIVERS PASSAGES AT Portsmouth.  
Read in the said House, the 17th day of August, 1642.  
17. Aug. 1642.  
ORdered that the said Letter shall be forthwith Printed and published:  H. Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com. 
London, Printed by L.N. and I.F. for Edward Husbands and John Frank, and are to be sold at their shops in the middle Temple, and the Kings-head in Fleetstreet. August 19 1642.   

The Copy of a LETTER From PORTSMOUTH.  
SIR,  
I Sent you a Letter by the foot-post, which I hope came to your hands on last Saturday, wherein was contained all or most part of Portsmouth news, and now I herein send you all or most of what hath happened since thereabouts: The Colonel having caused the Bridge called Portbridge 3 miles from Portsmouth entering into the Isle of Portsea, (in which Portsmouth stands) to be made secure with a frame of timber work very strong, to hinder all from passing that way but whom he pleased, and having built a little Fort or Bulwark of earth a little within that Bridge, and planted four pieces of Ordnance there to defend the Bridge, and having placed 10 or 12 horsemen to watch there day and night, did on Wednesday last carry back to Portsmouth 3 of his Ordnance, and the fourth also about a mile, but the wheels broke, so that he was fain to leave that piece in the high way, all which he did for fear the Troopers which came from London, would by force or some stratagem get them away, and then make use of them to offend the Colonel: yet when the pieces were gone, he still kept horsemen day and night at the Fort, and the timber work upon the Bridge, to secure it as formerly, and all Wednesday Thursday & Friday last, he caused divers hundreds of cattles, sheep, and swine, in the fruitful Isle of Portsea to be brought into Portsmouth there, whether they were fat or lean, to be all killed and salted up, and caused every house in that Isle to be searched and all manner of provisions to be taken away from the owners, as corn, meal, flower, beef, bacon, bread, butter, cheese, eggs, and all their poultry and ducks, not leaving half loaves of bread, nor pieces of bread, nor pieces of cheese, and drove away all cattles whatsoever, to the great terror of all the people, especially women and children, forcing poor and rich to come away, and beg about for bread to keep them alive, and he made such men as he could find, help to drive their own cattles and carry their own provisions into Portsmouth, and then kept many of them there by force; but the King's Ships as soon as they heard of these cruel intentions, landed some men at the East side of the Island, and two pieces of Ordnance, and thereby kept off the horsemen, whilst the ship-men got over many women and children into Hailing Island, and about 100 cattles, and about 200. sheep, they got ropes over the cattle's heads, & made them swim over after boats: Upon Friday last in the afternoon, I went purposely to Portsdown to see and hear what I could, at which place all this was credibly told me, and I then went as near the Fort as I durst, which was dangerous to be fetched in by the horsemen which guarded it, in regard all the Troopers were then in Havant Town & in Southwick, 4 miles distant where they lay, and came not abroad all that afternoon, by reason of the extraordinary rain which happened that afternoon: if the weather had been fair, as I was told in the presence of the Council of war at Southwick, the Troopers had attempted to have taken the Fort that afternoon, and then I had seen it: but in the night time, that night some Troopers went down to the Fort, and were troubled to get down the timber-work, it being so strong, and whilst they were getting it down the horsemen road all away from the Fort, and the Troopers after them, but could take but one of the men, and two horses, so as now the Troopers have the fort, and have set there four pieces of Ordnance, and blocked up that passage, so as the Colonel and his company are all within the walls of Portsmouth as it were in a pound, not daring to encounter the Troopers; Although they last Saturday went almost to the Town Gates, to try if any dared to come forth to them, the Colonel sent out two pieces of Ordnance charged with musket bullets, and two gunner's to guard the piece with the broken wheel, that the Troopers might not get it away: But on Saturday in the afternoon, a valiant Trooper alone adventured to go near them, and cunningly got on the back side of the men, who could not suddenly turn about both or one of the pieces, so as the Trooper shot off his Carbine at one of them with a brace of bullets, and spoiled his running away, for he fell down dead, I believe that this day they will attempt to take a Castle near Portsmouth called Southsea Castle, half a mile from Portsmouth, and make no question to take it, and then to make use of it to shoot into Portsmouth. Master Lukener, Master Bellingham, Christopher Bird, and others of the County of Suffolk, I believe wish they were at Chichester again, every night some of Portsmouth soldiers and gunner's get away down the walls and come to the Troopers, utterly disliking the Colonels cause and usage of the Inhabitants of Portsea Island, by taking away their cattles and provisions, etc. And yet scorn to be thought cowards, for they offer to go in the forefront, and in most danger with the Troopers in any service whatsoever. Since Chichester men came to Portsmouth there hath been harder usage of people by the Colonel and his company then before, and some think by their or some of their advices, a young woman in Portsmouth being great with child, who got leave to come last Friday out of Portsmouth, and whom I met by the way, reports; that one of Chichester men, but not Mr. Recorder Lukener, nor Mr. Bellingham, said to her that he would not have her go, because if the Town should be so put to it, as to want victuals, then that in her belly would eat as sweet as a young sucking pig, by which we may guess that they are inclinable to show as much mercy as the Rebels in Ireland, but I hope that God will prevent all their wicked purposes. The Troopers I believe resolve to banish all fear of danger, and within fewer days, though with loss of men, to adventure to scale the Walls, and take the Town, and prevent the doing of any more mischief by them in the Town to the poor Inhabitants, or any others: there is no great strength in the town of men, & but 80 or 90 horses, there being about 240. horses, Troopers, and 500 foot, by the Parliaments directions; but the Town is extraordinarily well provided with powder, and shot, and diet, by reason of the fetching in so much from the Inhabitants, there was a horse and a man taken on Saturday last about five of the clock at Havant, going to Portsmouth with a suit of  for one Mr. Bellingham in Portsmouth, but not Bellingham of Chichester, yet his kinsman, in which , between the outside and inside were sowed up 10 Letters; and about that time our Troopers took a man, and a horse, and several Letters going out of Portsmouth from the Lord Wentworth the●e, and divers other Letters are taken, so as the bottom of their plots are I hope discovered: This morning one of the Isle of Wight was with me, and told me, All their people there stand right for the King and Parliament, except the Captains of their Castles, and some of the Gentry; one Sir Robert Dillington there would have sent over much corn to Portsmouth, but was prevented by Master Bunckley a Justice of peace there, who stands very right for the King and Parliament; there is in the Island much fear of the Captains of the Castles, whether they will prove right or not; they are such men as Col: Goring is; the people are in great fear of them, and wish that the Earl of Pembroke were come, and that they might Muster, etc.  
15. August: 1642.  
FINIS.   

17 Augusti, 1642.  
ORdered that this Letter shall be forthwith Printed and published.  
H. Elsing, Cler. Parl. D. Com.