Reading Richard Ollard's Man Of War (Hodder, 1969) recently, which is a biography of Sir Robert Holmes, the Restoration admiral, famous for his Bonfires and for starting two of the Dutch Wars (although he was following orders), I came across the following anecdote:

'...in the Parliament of 1679 [Holmes'] fellow-member was John Churchill, the future Duke of Marlborough. The relations between the two colleagues seem to have been both more and less than parliamentary. In June 1679 Churchill somewhat ungallantly knocked an orange-girl about in the Duke's Theatre, as a result of which he was challenged by Otway, the poet In the dual that followed both men were wounded but Otway got the best of it. Sir John Holmes related these transactions to the King in a manner which Churchill resented. He challenged Holmes Who fought him and disarmed him.'

I thought to myself as I read it, 'I don't' remember reading that in Churchill's biography of Marlborough! Then, looking up the footnote; I found the comment: 'HMC 7th Report Appendix 473 a. These incidents find no place in Sir Winston Churchill's biography of his ancestor.'

If any of you out there have come across any scandals involving the Great Captains whose lives we study and revere, please write in and share your knowledge.