DR. DARWIN. 163 



Swift to her wing returns her beak, 

 And mivers as the tempefts break. 

 Up ftarts the village-dog aloof, 

 And howls beneath his rifted roof ; 

 Looks from his den, and blinking hears 

 The driving tumult at his ears ! 

 Inftant withdraws his fearful breaft, 

 Shrinks from the ftorm, and deals to reft. 

 So* {brinks the pining fold, and fleeps 

 Beneath the valley's vaulted deeps 5 

 Or crops the fefcue's dewy blade, 

 And treads unfeen the milky glade ; 

 Forms by it's breath fair opening bovvers, 

 Tranfparent domes, and pearly (bowers. 



Thus night rolls on till orient dawn 

 Unbars the purple gates of morn, 

 Unfolds each vale and fnow-clad grove, 

 Mute founts and gloffy banks above. 



* So flirinks the pining fold,'] It often happens that fheep in 

 this and in the Peak country, are immerfed many feet deep in fnow 

 for feveral days before they are difcovered. The perpetual fleam from 

 their noftrils keeps the fnow, immediately over their heads, in a dif- 

 folving ftate, and hence a tunnel is conftantly forming through the 

 heaps above. This tunnel greatly facilitates their difcovery, and fup- 

 plies them with abundance of frefh air. The warmth of thefe animals 

 foon diffolves the furrounding fnow, and at length the drift is fo com- 

 pletely vaulted, that they are able to ftretch their limbs, and fearch for 

 fubfiftence. It is afierted that fheep have been frequently found alive 

 after having been entombed -in the fnow during a fortnight. 



M 2 Thin 



