MARY RICH, COUNTESS OF WARWICK 151 



the still-house woman, is sick, and requires attention. 

 Then " one of the men-cookes " has fits, and though 

 it is "a ghastly mortifying sight," the mistress goes 

 herself to see what can be done for him. When 

 Lawrence the footman is to receive the Sacrament, 

 a long time is spent in preparing him. Later on is 

 the entry : " Gave counsel to Leonard the coachman ; " 

 and again : " Spent a deal of time giving good 

 counsel to Boeke, who is going from my Lord's 

 service." Nor are the poor women who worked in 

 the garden forgotten : " I spent some time of this 

 morning in catechising some of the poor weeding- 

 women, and in stirring them up to look after their 

 souls." Neither are the cottagers neglected. The sick 

 and suffering are carefully provided for; old Betty 

 Knightbridge and Goody Crow, and other feeble folk, 

 are visited in their humble homes; and a dame's 

 school is established in the village. Moreover, the 

 affairs of the ejected ministers receive her careful 

 attention. After the passing of the Act of Uniformity 

 in 1662, a member of Puritan ministers found a true 

 friend and protector in Lady Warwick. We find 

 them constantly staying at Leighs Priory, and sup- 

 ported to a large extent by her bounty. The diary 

 has many allusions to the deep and edifying dis- 

 courses of these good ministers delivered in the 

 private chapel of Leighs. Of sermons our devout 

 Countess seems never to weary; and not satisfied 

 with the ministrations of her own chaplains, she was 

 wont to attend the services in many of the village 

 churches around. 



But engaged as she frequently was in religious 

 exercises and in deeds of charity, the Countess was 

 no recluse, and seems never to have shunned the 



