ped of its bark while growing in the spring, and
not felled till the second autumn afterwards; and it is observed by
Dr. Plot ("Phil. Trans." for 1691), in his discourse on the most
seasonable time for felling timber, written by the advice of Pepys,
that after forty-seven years, "all the ancient timber then remaining
in her, it was no easy matter to drive a nail into it" ("Quarterly
Review," vol. viii., p. 35).--B.]

to-day, as I intended, clearing all matters in packing up my papers
and books, and giving instructions in writing to my executors, thereby
perfecting the whole business of my will, to my very great joy; so that
I shall be in much better state of soul, I hope, if it should please
the Lord to call me away this sickly time. At night to read, being
weary with this day's great work, and then after supper to bed, to rise
betimes to-morrow, and to bed with a mind as free as to the business of
the world as if I were not worth L100 in the whole world, every thing
being evened under my hand in my books and papers, and upon the whole I
find myself worth, besides Brampton estate, the sum of L2164, for which
the Lord be praised!

14th. Up, and my mind being at mighty ease from the dispatch of my
business so much yesterday, I down to Deptford to Sir G. Carteret, where
with him a great while, and a great deale of private talke concerning my
Lord Sandwich's and his matters, and chiefly of the latter, I giving
him great deale of advice about the necessity of his having caution
concerning Fenn, and the many ways there are of his being abused by any
man in his place, and why he should not bring his son in to look after
his business, and more, to be a Commissioner of the Navy, which he
listened to and liked, and told me how much the King was his good
Master, and was sure not to deny him that or any thing else greater
than that, and I find him a very cunning man, whatever at other times
he seems to be, and among other things he told me he was not for the
fanfaroone

[Fanfaron, French, from fanfare, a sounding of trumpets; hence, a
swaggerer, or empty boaster.]

to make a show with a great title, as he might have had long since, but
the main thing to get an estate; and another thing, speaking of minding
of business, "By God," says he, "I will and have already almost brought
it to that pass, that the King shall not be able to whip a cat, but I
must be at the tayle of it." Meaning so n