JANUARY 



By his commandment he maketh the snow to fall apace, and 

 sendeth swiftly the lightnings of his judgement. 



Through this the treasures are opened and clouds fly forth as fowls. 



By his great power he maketh the clouds firm and the hailstones 

 are broken small. 



At his sight the mountains are shaken, and at his will the north 

 wind bloweth. 



The noise of the thunder maketh the earth to tremble, so doth 

 the northern storm and the whirlwind ; as birds flying he scattereth 

 the snow, and the falling down thereof is as the lighting of grass- 

 hoppers. 



The eye marvelleth at the beauty of the whiteness thereof, and the 

 heart is astonished at the raining of it. 



The hoar-frost also as salt he poureth on the earth, and being con- 

 gealed it lieth on the top of sharp stakes. 



When the cold north wind bloweth, and the water is congealed 

 into ice, it abideth upon every gathering together of water, and 

 clotheth the water as with a breastplate. 



It devoureth the mountains, and burnetii the wilderness, and con- 

 sumeth the grass as fire. 



Ecclesiasticus xliii. 13 — 21. 



The solar year commences in the very depth 

 of winter ; and I open my record of its various 

 aspects under that of its unmitigated austerity. 

 I speak now as I intend to speak, generally. I 

 describe the season not as it may be in this, 

 or another year, but as it is in the average. 

 December may be, I think, very justly styled the 

 gloomiest, January the severest, and February 



B 



