148 CLEAR FROST IN WINTER 



collected, cool, bright as the skies, and as the season 10 

 keen. All Nature feels the renovating force of 

 winter, only to the thoughtless eye is ruin seen. 

 The frost-concocted glebe draws in abundant vegetable 

 soul, and gathers vigour for the coming year. A 

 stronger glow sits on the lively cheek of ruddy fire ; 

 and luculent along the purer rivers flow. Their sullen 

 deeps transparent open to the shepherd's gaze, and 

 murmur hoarser at the fixing frost. 



What art thou, Frost ? And whence are thy keen 

 stores derived, thou secret, all-invading power, whom 20 

 even the illusive fluid cannot fly ? Is not thy potent 

 energy unseen myriads of little salts, or hooked or 

 shaped like double wedges, and diffused immense 

 through water, earth, and ether 1 ? Hence, at eve, 

 steamed eager from the red horizon round, with the 

 fierce rage of winter deep suffused, an icy gale, oft 

 shifting, o'er the pool breathes a blue film, and, in its 

 mid career, arrests the bickering stream. The loosened 

 ice, let down the flood, and half dissolved by day, 

 rustles no more, but to the sedgy bank fast grows, or so 

 gathers round the pointed stone a crystal pavement, 

 by the breath of heaven cemented firm; till, seized 

 from shore to shore, the whole imprisoned river growls 

 below. Loud rings the frozen earth, and, hard, 

 reflects a double noise ; while, at his evening watch, 

 the village dog deters the nightly thief, the heifer 

 lows, the distant waterfall swells in the breeze, and, 

 with the hasty tread of traveller, the hollow-sounding 

 plain shakes from afar. The full ethereal round, 

 infinite worlds disclosing to the view, shines out 40 

 intensely keen, and, all one cope of starry glitter, 

 glows from pole to pole. 



