THE NAVY OF THE RESTORATION 



was swamped. His body was subsequently recovered and taken to 

 Westminster Abbey where it now lies. Otherwise the fight was a drawn 

 one with the balance in favour of the Dutch. Both sides suffered, but 

 the enemy contrived to effect their object of preventing us helping 

 Louis XIV in the Netherlands. It was one of the first actions in which 

 the newly-raised force of Marines particularly distinguished themselves 

 at sea. Soon after the action the Duke of York retired from the position 

 of Lord High Admiral on account of his religious beliefs. 

 The Campaign of 1673. 



As soon as the fleet had recovered from the battering of Solebay 

 it carried into operation the main plan of assisting the French on the 

 Netherlands coast. Under Prince Rupert the fleet crossed and 

 threatened the Maas, but the Prince of Orange, who had taken com- 

 mand in Holland, was not to be daunted and backed De Ruyter loyally. 

 Accordingly their fleet tackled us and after a number of minor actions 

 fought the Battle of the Texel. In this action the French pursued their 

 same policy and gave us very little support, so that the British had to 

 stand the brunt of a determined Dutch attack by superior force. Things 

 were not going well with us when the French returned and De Ruyter 

 retired, after an indecisive action it is true, but having relieved Holland 

 of the blockade and all fear of invasion from the sea. Perhaps our 

 greatest loss was Admiral Spragge, a man with a very high reputation 

 both for gallantry and ability, who was killed. After this action the 

 British, who had been becoming more and more sympathetic with the 

 Dutch against the French, took a definite line and in 1674 withdrew 

 from the war in which only the gallantry of our seamen saved us from 

 the utmost discredit. 

 James II and the Navy. 



When James II succeeded his brother his policy should have been 

 to foster the affection of the fleet, for his position was by no means 

 secure and the Navy was the greatest potential support that he could 

 desire. He was well known and well liked in the fleet, although it 

 must be confessed that during the latter period of his power he had 

 dabbled in politics in a manner that had detracted considerably from 

 his popularity, but when he became King he seemed to make every 

 possible blunder in dealing with the Navy. One oflScer after another 

 was alienated and thrown into the arms of William of Orange, and 

 even the ships which Lord Dartmouth collected in James's cause were 

 seething with mutiny. It was the active support of British ships that 

 prompted William to cross in 1688 and to land at Torbay, Admiral 

 Arthur Herbert being in command and passing quite close to Dart- 

 mouth's fleet without being molested. When the latter finally got 

 under way he found that his men were so disaffected that there was 

 nothing for him to do but to join William. 

 The War of the English Succession. 



Louis XIV was still on bad terms with the Dutch and when James 

 fled to his court and begged assistance from him it was very readily 



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