This article examines the diary of Sarah, Lady Cowper written between 1700 and 1716, a wonderfully eclectic document filled with fascinating detail of 18th-century life and thought. First, the story of her life is outlined, covering her unhappy marriage to the bad-tempered Sir William Cowper and the disasters brought about by her sons, including a suicide and a murder trial which nearly wrecked the whole family. The second half of the article looks at Dame Sarah's attitudes towards death, and, in particular, her belief in the doctrine of Divine Providence. Thus it explores both how her attitudes to death were shaped by the circumstances of her life and how, by fixing her thoughts on the hereafter, she was able to bear the woes of her earthly existence. Finally, a brief assessment is made of how far Sarah, Lady Cowper could be considered typical of her times.