JANUARY. 



By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and sendeth 

 swiftly the lightnings of his judgment. 



Through this the treasures are opened and clouds fly forth as fowls. 



By his great power he maketh the clouds firm and the hailstones 

 are broken small. 



At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the north 

 wind bloweth. 



The noise of the thunder maketh the earth to tremble, so doth the 

 northern storm and the whirlwind; as birds flying he scattereth the 

 snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grasshoppers. 



The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the 

 heart is astonished at the raining of it. 



The hoar frost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being con- 

 gealed it lieth on the top of sharp stakes. 



When the cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed into 

 ice, it abideth upon every gathering together of water, and clotheth 

 the water as with a breastplate. 



It devoureth the mountains, and burneth the wilderness, and con- 

 sumeth the grass as fire. 



ECCLESIASTICUS, xliii. 13-21. 



THE solar year commences in the very depth of 

 winter ; and I open my record of its various aspects 

 under that of its unmitigated austerity. I speak now 

 as I intend to speak, generally. I describe the sea- 

 son not as it may be in this, or another year, but as 

 it is in the average. December may be, I think, 

 very justly styled the gloomiest, January the seve- 

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