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so locked up with ice that no vessels could stir out or 

 come in. The fowls, fish and birds, and all our exotic 

 plants and greens universally perishing. Many parks of 

 deer were destroyed, and all sorts of fuel so dear that 

 there were great contributions to preserve the poor alive. 

 Nor was this severe weather much less intense in most 

 parts of Europe as far as Spain. London, by reason of 

 the excessive coldness of the air hindering the ascent of 

 the smoke, was so filled with the fuliginous steam of the 

 sea coal that hardly could one see across the streets, and 

 this filling the lungs with its gross particles exceedingly 

 obstructed the breast so as one could scarcely breathe- 

 Here was no water to be had from the pipes and engines, 

 nor could the brewers and divers other tradesmen work, 

 and every moment was full of disastrous accidents. 

 February 5. It began to thaw but froze again. 8th. 

 The weather was set in to an absolute thaw and rain, but 

 the Thames still frozen. loth. After eight weeks missing 

 the foreign posts there came abundance of intelligence 

 from abroad. March 28. The weather began to be more 

 mild and tolerable, but there was not the least appearance 

 of any spring. April 4. Hardly the least appearance 

 of any spring. July 2. There had been an excessive hot 

 and dry spring, and such a drought still continued as 

 never was in my memory. July 13. Some small sprink- 

 ling of rain, the leaves dropping from the trees as 

 in autumn. August 10. We had now rain after such a 

 drought as no man in England had known. August 24. 

 Excessive hot. We had not had above one or two con- 

 siderable showers, and those storms, these eight or nine 

 months. Many trees died for want of refreshment- 

 November 2. A sudden change from temperate warm 

 weather to an excessive cold rain, frost, snow, and storm 

 such as had seldom been known. This winter weather 

 began as early and fierce as the past did late ; till about 

 Christmas there had been hardly any winter (Evelyn). 



