I Sent you a letter by the foot-post, which I hope came to your hands on last Satterday, where­in was contained all or most part of Ports­mouth newes, and now I herein send you all or most of what hath happened since therea­bouts. The Colonell having caused the bridg cald Portbridg 3 miles from Portsmouth entring 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 pasing that way but whom he pleased, and having built a little fort or buswark 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 cary back to Portsmouth 3 of his Ordnance, and the fourth also about a mile, but the wheels broke, so thhat he was faine to leave that piece in the high way, all which he did for feare the Troopers which came from London, would by force or some stratagem get them away, and then make use of them to offend the Colo­nell: yet when the pieces were gone, he still kept horsemen day and night at the Fort and the timber worke upon the [Page 4] Bridge, to secure it [...], and all Wednesday, Thurs­day and Friday [...] of cattell, sheep, and swine in the fruitfull Isle of P [...] to be brought to Portsmouth [...], whether they were [...] or loane, to bee 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 corne▪ meale, flower, beefe, bacon, bread, bu [...]ter, cheese, egg [...]s, and all their Poultry and ducks not leaving halfe loaves of bread, nor pieces of bread, nor pieces of cheese, and drove away all Cattell whatsoever, to the great terrour of all the people, especially women and children, forcing poore and rich to come away, and beg a­bout for bread to keepe them alive, and hee made such men as he could finde, helpe to drive their own cattell and carry their own provisions into Portsmouth, and then kept many of them there by force; but the Kings ships as soone as they heard of these cruell intentions, landed some men at the East side of the Island, and two peices of Ordnance, and thereby kept off the horsemen, whilst the ship-men g [...]t ever many women and children into Hayling Island, and about 100 cattell, and about 200 sheep, they got ropes over cattels heads, and made them swim over after boats: Upon Friday last in the afternoon, I went purposely to Portsdown, to see and heare what I could, at which place all this was credibly told me, and I then went as neer the Fort as I durst, which was dangerous to be fetcht 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 beene faire, as I was told in the presence of the Counsell of [...] in 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 worke, it being so strong, and whilst they were getting it downe the horsemen rode all away from the Fort, and the Troopers after them, but could take but one of the men, and two horses, so as [Page 5] now the Troopers have the [...] and have [...] there four pie­ces of Ordnance, and block'd up that passage, so as the Co­lonell 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 Colonell sent our two piece of Ordnance charged with mus­quet bullets, and two gunners 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 neer them, and cunningly got on the backside of the men, who could not sudainly turn about both or one of the pieces, so as the Trooper shot of [...] his Carbine at one of them with a brace of bullets, and spoild his running away, for he fell down dead. I beleeve that this day they will at­tempt to take a Castle neer Portsmouth called Southsea Ca­stle, halfe a mile from Portsmouth, and make no question to take it, and then to make use of it to shoot into Portsmouth. Mr. Lukener, Mr. Bellingham, Christopher Bird, and o­thers of the County of Suffolke, I beleeve wish they were at Chichester againe, every night some of Portsmouth Soul­diers and gunners get away down the walls and come to the Troopers, utterly drinking the Colonell's cause and usage of the inhabitants of Portsea Island, by taking away their cat­tel and provisions, &c. And yet scorn to be thought cowards, for they offer to go in the forefront, & in most danger w^th the Troopers in any service whatsoever. Since Chichester men came to Portsmouth there hath bin harder usage of people by the Colonell and his company then before, & some thinke by their or some of their devises, a young woman in Ports­mouth being great with childe, who got leave to come last Friday to come to 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 hee would not have her goe, because if the Town should bee 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 gues that theey are inclinable to shew as much mercy as the Re­bbels [Page 6] in Ireland, but I hope that God will prevent all their wicked purposes. The Troopers I beleeve resolve to banish all feare of danger, and with in fewer dayes, though with losse of men, to adventure to scale the Walls, and take the Town, and prevent the doing of any more mischiefe by them in the Town to the poor Inhabitants, or any others there is no great strenth in the Town of men, and 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 dyet, 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 Clocke at Havant going to Portsmouth with a suit of cloaths for one Mr. Bellingham in Portsmouth, but not Bellingham of Chichester, yet his kinsman, in which cloaths between the outside and inside were sowed up 10. Letters; and about that time our Troopess took a man, and an horse, and severall Leters going out of Portsmouth from the Lord Wentworth there, & divers other Letters are taken, so as the bottome of their plotsare 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 Dalington there would have sent over much corne to Portsmouth, but waprevented by M. Bunkley a Iustice of Peace there who stands very right for the King & Parliament; ther is in the Island much fear of the Captains of the Castles, whether they will prove right or not; they are such men as Colonell Goring is, the people are in great feare of them, and wish that the Earle of Pembrooke were come, and that they might muster, &c.