272 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE. 



instrument abroad. All this time the wind continued north and 

 north-east ; and yet on the 8th roost-cocks, which had been silent, 

 began to sound their clarions, and crows to clamour, as prognostic 

 of milder weather ; and, moreover, moles began to heave and work, 

 and a manifest thaw took place. From the latter circumstance we 

 may conclude that thaws often originate under ground from warm 

 vapours which arise ; 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 10; 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 befal 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 I4th 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. 



