mistresses, but laughs at the foolery of our King, that makes his
bastards princes,

[Louis made his own bastards dukes and princes, and legitimatized
them as much as he could, connecting them also by marriage with the
real blood-royal.--B.]

and loses his revenue upon them, and makes his mistresses his masters
and the King of France did never grant Lavalliere

[Louise Francoise de la Baume le Blanc de la Valliere had four
children by Louis XIV., of whom only two survived-Marie Anne
Bourbon, called Mademoiselle de Blois, born in 1666, afterwards
married to the Prince de Conti, and the Comte de Vermandois, born in
1667. In that year (the very year in which Evelyn was giving this
account to Pepys), the Duchy of Vaujour and two baronies were
created in favour of La Valliere, and her daughter, who, in the deed
of creation, was legitimatized, and styled princess.--B.]

any thing to bestow on others, and gives a little subsistence, but no
more, to his bastards. He told me the whole story of Mrs. Stewart's
going away from Court, he knowing her well; and believes her, up to her
leaving the Court, to be as virtuous as any woman in the world: and told
me, from a Lord that she told it to but 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 le