essor , ▁Richard ▁Rh odes . ▁She ▁went ▁round ▁t ending ▁the ▁sick ▁and ▁inf irm ▁in ▁her ▁own ▁community , ▁while ▁running ▁her ▁household ▁and ▁recording ▁detailed ▁household ▁accounts . ▁The ▁activities ▁reported ▁in ▁her ▁di ary ▁reflect ▁prof ound ▁religious ▁belief s . ▁ ▁The ▁di ary ▁Margaret ▁H oby ' s ▁di ary ▁– ▁the ▁earliest ▁known ▁by ▁an ▁English w oman ▁( 1 5 9 9 – 1 6 0 5 ) ▁– ▁gives ▁a ▁notable ▁account ▁of ▁the ▁domestic ▁discipl ines ▁of ▁Elizabeth an ▁pur itan ism , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁religious ▁exer cis es ▁and ▁pray ers ▁for ▁the ▁whole ▁household ▁and ▁the ▁private ▁pray ers ▁and ▁reading , ▁in ▁which ▁she ▁was ▁gu ided ▁by ▁her ▁chap lain , ▁Richard ▁Rh odes . ▁It ▁was ▁written ▁as ▁a ▁p ious ▁exercise , ▁and ▁as ▁such , ▁pres aged ▁a ▁school ▁of ▁religious ▁soul - search ing ▁in ▁di ary ▁form ▁that ▁continued ▁into ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁The ▁di ary ▁also ▁shed ▁light ▁on ▁the ▁management ▁of ▁the ▁estate ▁in ▁her ▁husband ' s ▁frequent ▁abs ences : ▁super vis ing ▁and ▁pay ing ▁servants , ▁sorting ▁lin en , ▁playing ▁music , ▁garden ing , ▁giving ▁medical ▁advice ▁and ▁tre ating ▁neighb ours ▁and ▁ten ants . ▁It ▁tells ▁little ▁about ▁the ▁writer ' s ▁private ▁feelings . ▁References ▁to ▁Sir ▁Thomas ▁H oby ▁are ▁formal , ▁though ▁Margaret ▁was ▁strong - mind ed ▁enough ▁to ▁resist ▁until ▁ 1 6