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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 

 ten degrees; 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 befall 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. 



