CH. 1.] A SECOND SUMMER. 151 
ornament did not appear. Had they been allowed 
to continue their operations they would have been 
soon undeceived by the setting in of a hard frost 
accompanied by heavy snow, and reduced, in 
spite of their warm situations, to the state of 
Cowper's birds: 
“ Back into their nests they paddled, 
Themselves were chilled, their eggs were addled.” 
The extraordinary freshness of the foliage, &c. at 
that period was however quite sufficient to mis- 
lead any simple-minded bird. For instance, within 
a day or two of the same time J found, in a some- 
what exposed situation, a blackberry-bush, having 
at once upon it flowers in full bloom, and green, 
ripening, and ripe fruit, quite reminding one of 
Homer’s description of the vines in Alcinous’ 
garden, Od. H. 117—126. Whilst we were thus 
enjoying a second summer in England, the weather 
was, in the south of France, Italy, Portugal, Malta, 
and the East, unusually severe. From a friend, 
who had gone to Pau to escape the rigours of the 
English winter, I received, while the Jackdaws 
were thus building in our chimnies, and the black- 
berries still in full autumnal vigour, a letter ex- 
pressing his regret that he had not taken his 
skates with him; and again, about the third week 
