OF SELBORNE. 387 



when a thermometer hangs abroad in a frosty night, the 

 intervention of a cloud shall immediately raise the mer- 

 cury 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 havock : hence men should learn to 

 ornament chiefly with such trees as are able to with- 

 stand 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 arbu- 

 tuses 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. 



c c 2 



