yesterday, with her own mouth,
and a sober man, that when the Duke of Richmond did make love to her,
she did ask the King, and he did the like also; and that the King did
not deny it, and [she] told this Lord that she was come to that pass as
to resolve to have married any gentleman of L1500 a-year that would
have had her in honour; for it was come to that pass, that she could not
longer continue at Court without prostituting herself to the King,

[Even at a much later time Mrs. Godolphin well resolved "not to talk
foolishly to men, more especially THE KING,"--"be sure never to
talk to THE KING" ("Life," by Evelyn). These expressions speak
volumes as to Charles's character.--B.]

whom she had so long kept off, though he had liberty more than any other
had, or he ought to have, as to dalliance.

[Evelyn evidently believed the Duchess of Richmond to be innocent;
and his testimony, coupled with her own declaration, ought to weigh
down all the scandal which Pepys reports from other sources.--B.]

She told this Lord that she had reflected upon the occasion she had
given the world to think her a bad woman, and that she had no way but
to marry and leave the Court, rather in this way of discontent than
otherwise, that the world might see that she sought not any thing but
her honour; and that she will never come to live at Court more than when
she comes to town to come to kiss the Queene her Mistress's hand: and
hopes, though she hath little reason to hope, she can please her Lord so
as to reclaim him, that they may yet live comfortably in the country on
his estate. She told this Lord that all the jewells she ever had given
her at Court, or any other presents, more than the King's allowance of
L700 per annum out of the Privypurse for her clothes, were, at her first
coming the King did give her a necklace of pearl of about L1100 and
afterwards, about seven months since, when the King had hopes to have
obtained some courtesy of her, the King did give her some jewells, I
have forgot what, and I think a pair of pendants. The Duke of York,
being once her Valentine, did give her a jewell of about L800; and my
Lord Mandeville, her Valentine this year, a ring of about L300; and the
King of France would have had her mother, who, he says, is one of the
most cunning women in the world, to have let her stay in France, saying
that he loved her not as a mistress, but as one that he could marry as
well as