Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 27.djvu/202

 of the seamen's wages was of more importance.

To follow up their victory on St. James's day, the generals detached Holmes with a small squadron and a landing party to destroy the shipping at the islands of Vlie and Schelling. On 8 Aug. he was off the harbour; two men-of-war that attempted its defence were driven ashore and burnt; the fireships did the rest; between 150 and 160 merchant ships, mostly of large size and richly laden, outward or homeward bound East Indiamen, were destroyed; and then landing, the stores, filled with East Indian merchandise, were also given to the flames. Comparatively little was brought away, but the material loss to the Dutch was enormous. The magnitude of the blow brought exaggerated credit to Holmes for inflicting it. One ballad of the time is happier than most— Whilst we were giving thanks to Heaven, we found Our former victory with a second crowned … Our streets were thick with bonefires large and tall, But Holmes one bonefire made was worth them all. (Sir Robert Holmes, his Bonefire; cf. Cal. State Papers, Dom. 7 Aug. 1666.) From the king Holmes received an honourable augmentation to his arms—the English lion in a canton; and as a crest, a naval crown, out of which an arm in armour, the hand holding a trident.

Early in 1667 he was named as admiral at Portsmouth (, 4 April), but does not seem to have been actually appointed till the following year, when he hoisted his flag on board the Defiance, from which he afterwards moved to the Cambridge. In the meantime he had taken a prominent part in the scandalous duel between the Duke of Buckingham and the Earl of Shrewsbury. Holmes was one of the duke's seconds, and opposed to Sir John Talbot, whom he wounded in the arm. After this he was in higher favour than ever, and some months later Pepys noted a report ‘that Holmes and Spragge now rule all with the Duke of Buckingham, as to sea business, and will be great men’ (ib. 3 Dec. 1668; 4 March 1668–9). In the following year Holmes was returned to parliament as member for Winchester. He was also appointed captain-general and governor of the Isle of Wight, where, at Yarmouth, he had built a large mansion (now the George Inn). Here, in 1671, 1675, and 1677, he entertained the king with regal magnificence, which would seem to confirm Pepys's statement as to his being rich.

In the beginning of 1672, when war with Holland was determined on, Holmes was ordered to take command of a squadron of ships of war, and intercept the Dutch Smyrna fleet as it came up the Channel. The preparations to carry out this measure were as inadequate as the conception of it was villainous. Holmes, with his flag in the St. Michael, was stationed, with five ships, to intercept a fleet of fifty-six merchant ships, convoyed by eleven men-of-war; these were of from 40 to 50 guns, and some twenty of the merchant ships were also heavily armed; so that when, on 12 March 1671–2, Holmes attacked them off the Isle of Wight, they defended themselves stoutly. After fighting all the afternoon and evening, the English ships were so disabled that they had to lie by to repair damages. Holmes shifted his flag to the Cambridge, and in the morning, having been joined by three other ships, again attacked the Dutch with somewhat better success. One of the Dutch ships was sunk, and five or six were captured; the rest escaped (Foreign Office Records, Holland, cclxv. 233, 234). Holmes, acting under immediate orders, had at least done well where the imbecility of the government had rendered success impossible. The blame cast upon him for obeying orders is equally unjust, especially as he could not possibly know their exceptional infamy. The St. Michael had been terribly mauled in this action, but was refitted in time to take part in the battle of Solebay, 28 May 1672, on which occasion she was one of the seconds of the commander-in-chief. When his own ship, the Prince, was disabled, and her captain, Sir John Cox, killed, the Duke of York hoisted the standard on board the St. Michael, and continued in her till, towards evening, she too was disabled, when he again shifted to the London (Henry Savile to Arlington, a printed relation in State Papers, Dom. Charles II, cccxxviii.) It would almost seem as if Holmes's career afloat was bound up in the Duke of York's tenure of office as lord high admiral; for, though no lists of the fleets of 1673 can be found, it does not appear that Holmes took part in that bloody campaign.

The rest of his life appears to have been passed in the duties of his office as governor of the Isle of Wight, and as member of parliament, in which he sat almost continuously for Winchester, Yarmouth, or Newport. He quietly accepted the revolution. In July 1690, after the battle of Beachy Head, we find him sending intelligence of the movements of the French fleet. His will, dated 28 Oct. 1692, describes him as then in perfect health; and thus, without any long