MARGARET GODOLPHIN, at cards, and did not attempt to deny it ; degraded and heartless, their intellect was perverted to evil. Religion was a subject to be avoided, or sneered at, until Louis began to grow superstitious, and then, in order to flatter him, ladies and courtiers affected an interest they were very far from feeling in re- ligious services, though they sometimes betrayed themselves. Once, a royal guard on duty in the chapel at Versailles, " desirous, " says Miss Kavanagh, " of amusing himself at the expense of the Court Ladies, one day declared in their presence that his Majesty did not intend assisting at the religious service then going to take place. The ladies, wisely concluding that if the King was not to be present, their devotion would be very use- lessly thrown away, dropped off, one by one. Louis XIV. came as usual ; and was amazed to see the chapel empty, until the guard informed him of his mischievous trick." The manner in which those in whose society she was thrown spent their time wearied and saddened Mrs. Godolphin, and she wrote dolorously to her friend Evelyn, whose son, a fine youth of nine- teen, was under her especial charge. On Lord Berkeley preparing to go to Nimoghen, she seized the excuse of desiring to dispose of a consi- derable sum of money entrusted to Evelyn to return to England, under the safe conduct of a friend who was returning from Italy. Mrs. Godolphin arrived at Dover in April, 1676, 38
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