of Selborne 243 



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 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 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 T4th 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. 



LETTER LXII 



TO THE HONOURABLE DAINES EARRINGTON 



There were some circumstances attending the remark- 

 able frost in January 1776 so singular and striking, that a 

 short detail of them may not be unacceptable. 



