friend of Spicer's; and a good dinner I had for them. Falconbrige dined
somewhere else, by appointment. Strange to see how young W. Bowyer looks
at 41 years; one would not take him for 24 or more, and is one of the
greatest wonders I ever did see. After dinner, about 4 of the clock we
broke up, and I took coach and home (in fear for the money I had with
me, but that this friend of Spicer's, one of the Duke's guard did ride
along the best part of the way with us). I got to my Lord Bruncker's
before night, and there I sat and supped with him and his mistresse,
and Cocke whose boy is yet ill. Thence, after losing a crowne betting at
Tables--[Cribbage]--, we walked home, Cocke seeing me at my new lodging,
where I went to bed. All my worke this day in the coach going and coming
was to refresh myself in my musique scale, which I would fain have
perfecter than ever I had yet.

22nd. Up betimes and to the office, meaning to have entered my last 5
or 6 days' Journall, but was called away by my Lord Bruncker and Sir J.
Minnes, and to Blackwall, there to look after the storehouses in order
to the laying of goods out of the East India ships when they shall be
unloaden. That being done, we into Johnson's house, and were much made
of, eating and drinking. But here it is observable what he tells us,
that in digging his late Docke, he did 12 foot under ground find perfect
trees over-covered with earth. Nut trees, with the branches and the very
nuts upon them; some of whose nuts he showed us. Their shells black with
age, and their kernell, upon opening, decayed, but their shell perfectly
hard as ever. And a yew tree he showed us (upon which, he says, the
very ivy was taken up whole about it), which upon cutting with an addes
[adze], we found to be rather harder than the living tree usually is.
They say, very much, but I do not know how hard a yew tree naturally is.

[The same discovery was made in 1789, in digging the Brunswick Dock,
also at Blackwall, and elsewhere in the neighbourhood.]

The armes, they say, were taken up at first whole, about the body,
which is very strange. Thence away by water, and I walked with my Lord
Bruncker home, and there at dinner comes a letter from my Lord Sandwich
to tell me that he would this day be at Woolwich, and desired me to meet
him. Which fearing might have lain in Sir J. Minnes' pocket a while, he
sending it me, did give my Lord Bruncker, his mistress, and I occasion
to talk of him as