A Profitable Instruction of the Perfite Ordering of Bees / With the Maruellous Nature, Propertie, and Gouernemente of Them: and the Necessarie Vses Both of Their Honie and Waxe, Seruing Diuersly, as Well in Inward as Outward Causes: Gathered Out of the Best Writers

by Thomas Hill

And looke howe the weather shal be at the Sunnes entrance into the signe Aquarius, at the daye of the entraunce, the daye before, and the daye after, (suche for the more parte) shall the weather be in the moneths of Iune, Iuly, and August.

And manye auntient men affyrme, that like as the weather shall be whiles the Sunne is running by the signe Libra, and vnto the .20. degrée of Scorpio, which time is from the daye named (the Exaltation of the crosse) vnto the day of al Saints, such for the more parte shall the yeare following be, as in diuiding that foresaide time into twelue moneths, and that foure daies doe aunswere to eche moneth, of the whiche foure dayes, that eache one of the foure, doeth declare the condition of the quarter following, and beginning also to recken November as the first moneth of the yeare.

And the generall signes of the dearth and plentie after the minds of the auncient husband men be these, as the ouermuch coldenesse drying, the ouermuch moysture softning, the ouermuche heate greatly burning, and the ouermuch drinesse putrifying and working into dust.

For when any of these qualities shall excéede in the proper time, but especially in that time, which to the corne and fruites do not agrée, then shall dearth and scarcitie both of fruites and corne ensue.

As for example, when the moneth of March shal be ouer moyst and wet, which rather ought to be drie, and that the moneth of April shal be drie, which then ought to be moyst, doth after pronounce the penurie of the fruites of the earth.

And if that part also of sommer shal be weat, in which the corne doth then fall vnto ripenesse, that rather ought to be drie, doth after signifie the scarcitie both of corne and other fruites of the earth.

And the like may be saide of the other constitutions, which when the Elementall qualities shal be in such a condition as do best agrée, then doe they promise both fruitfulnesse and plentifulnesse.

And if in the Spring be signes of colde and drought, and that in the ende of the spring neare the full moone be frostes, then shall follow very small yéelde of the fruites of the earth, and little wine that yere following.

And if the spring be drie, then fewe shall the fruites of the trées be, yet good, and the scarcitie of corne shal be that yeare.

And if the Spring shall be colde, the fruites of the Earthe shall be late ripe.