272 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 
instrument abroad. All this time the wind continued north and 
north-east ; and yet on the 8th roost-cocks, which had been silent, 
began to sound their clarions, and crows to clamour, as prognostic 
of milder weather ; and, moreover, moles began to heave and work, 
and a manifest thaw took place. From the latter circumstance we 
may conclude that thaws often originate under ground from warm 
vapours which arise ; else how should subterraneous animals receive 
such early intimations of their approach. Moreover, we have often 
observed that cold seems to descend from above; for when a 
thermometer hangs abroad in a frosty night, the intervention of a 
cloud shall immediately raise the mercury 10°; and a clear sky 
shall again compel it to descend to its former gage. 
And here it may be proper to observe, on what has been said 
above, that though frosts advance to their utmost severity by 
somewhat of a regular gradation, yet thaws do not usually come 
on by as regular a declension of cold, but often take place 
immediately from intense freezing; as men in sickness often 
mend at once from a paroxysm. 
To the great credit of Portugal laurels and American junipers, be 
it remembered that they remained untouched amidst the general 
havoc: hence men should learn to ornament chiefly with such trees 
as are able to withstand accidental severities, and not subject 
themselves to the vexation of a loss which may befal them once 
perhaps in ten years, yet may hardly be recovered through the 
whole course of their lives. 
As it appeared afterwards, the ilexes were much injured, the 
cypresses were half destroyed, the arbutuses lingered on, but 
never recovered; and the bays, laurustines, and laurels, were 
killed to the ground; and the very wild hollies, in hot aspects, 
were so much affected that they cast all their leaves. 
By the 14th of January the snow was entirely gone ; the turnips 
emerged not damaged at all, save in sunny places; the wheat 
looked delicately, and the garden plants were well preserved ; for 
snow is the most kindly mantle that infant vegetation can be 
wrapped in: were it not for that friendly meteor no vegetable life 
could exist at all in northerly regions. Yet in Sweden the earth in 
April is not divested of snow for more than a fortnight before the 
face of the country is covered with flowers. 
