hat this may (in part, at any
rate) have been due to a very strong though purely platonic attachment
he now formed to Miss Blagg, one of the Queen's Maids of Honour, who
married Mr. Sydney, afterwards Lord Godolphin, in 1675 and died in
childbed in 1678 at the early age of twenty five. His _Life of Mrs
Godolphin_, never published till 1847, was 'design'd to consecrate her
worthy life to posterity.' In February 1680 his son John, now 23 years
of age and imitating his father's literary beginning as a translator,
was married to Martha Spencer, step-daughter of Sir John Stonehouse.
That Evelyn was now fairly well off is evident from the terms of the
jointure and marriage contracts then made. 'The lady was to bring L5,000
in consideration of a settlement of L500 a yeare present maintainence,
which was likewise to be her jointure, and L500 a yeare after myne and
my Wife's decease. But with God's blessing it will be at the least L1000
a yeare more in a few yeares.' Always of business habits, Evelyn
particularly records how, in the following month, he went 'To London, to
receive L3,000 of my daughter-in-law's portion, which was paid in gold.'

The deeply religious caste of thought above alluded to as now becoming
very noticeable in Evelyn shewed itself strongly in the autumn of 1680.
'I went to London to be private, my birthday being ye next day, and I
now arriv'd at my sixtieth year, on which I began a more solemn survey
of my whole life, in order to the making and confirming my peace with
God, by an accurate scrutinie of all my actions past, as far as I was
able to call them to mind. How difficult and uncertaine, yet how
necessary a work! The Lord be mercifull to me and accept me! Who can
tell how oft he offendeth?... I began and spent the whole weeke in
examining my life, begging pardon for my faults, assistance and blessing
for the future, that I might in some sort be prepar'd for the time that
now drew neere, and not have the greater work to begin when one can
worke no longer. The Lord Jesus help and assist me! I therefore stirr'd
little abroad till the 5 November..... I participated of ye blessed
communion, finishing and confirming my resolutions of giving myselfe up
more intirely to God, to whom I had now most solemnly devoted the rest
of the poore remainder of life in this world; the Lord enabling me, who
am an unprofitable servant, a miserable sinner, yet depending on his
infinite goodnesse and mercy accepting my endeav