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 to conclude, the onely proofe of the former taught, shal moue the Reader better to credite these.

¶ An euerlasting Prognostication of the state and condition of euerye yeare, by the only Kalends of Ianuarie: written by that antient learned Leopoldus Austriacus, and others, for the commoditie of the wise Husbandmen. Cap.ij.

And nowe, when the first day of Ianuary shal happen on the Sunday, then the Winter shall be temperate and good, yet windie, the Spring wet, the sommer drie, and the Haruest hurtfull throughe windes. So that victualles shall be reasonable good cheape, plentie of Wines, the good health & encrease of shéepe and other cattell, and the indifferent plentie of hony, and the like plentie also of Peason, Beanes, Vetches, and the herbes and fruites of the Gardens. Also yong men shal die that yeare, and a discorde to be feared betwéene Kings, or else some manifest perils to happen to Kings and greate Prelates in aucthoritie, and that diuers robberies shall be attempted that yeare. And if controuersies happen betwéen Princes, then a conclusion of peace to be looked for in that yeare.

And if the firste day of Ianuarie shall happen on the Monday, then shall the Winter be warme, the Spring very colde, with Snow and Frostes that season, the Sommer boisterous through winds, and haile oftentimes, and lande floudes shall be somewhere, and the Haruest very drie. So that sicknesses shall ensue, throughe which many of the simple sorte shal then die, and diuers also shall die, throughe the sodaine plague then happening. Also the likelihoode of greate alteration to ensue, & that auntient women to mourne, Kings to die, and a greate slaughter to be feared by the sword. Also small store of wines, the death of Bées, and little hony that yeare.

And if the firste beginning of the moneth of Ianuarie shal be on Tuisday, then that Winter shal be long, and much snow in that season, and the likelihoode of land floudes, throughe the muche raine then falling, the Spring windie, the Sommer verye wette, and the Haruest abounding in grosse and rotten humors (so that a moste gréeuous plague is to be feared, and especially of women, and the likelihoode of many shipwrackes, and very greate cares and troubles to happen vnto Princes, with the scarcitie of fruites of the trées: and corne shall be deare, with the sodaine death of cattel to be feared that yeare. Also wood shal that yeare be deare, and the likelihoode of fearefull fyres, and that the plague to be grieuous that yeare. And yet shal there be store of Peason, Beanes, and Vetches, & plentie of hearbes and floures. Also there shall be plentie of Hony, Oyle, and wines that yeare.

And when the firste of Ianuarie beginneth on the Wednesday, then shall the Winter be warme and calme, the Spring wette, and disposed to sicknesses, the Sommer hote, and the Haruest vnprofitable, so that long sicknesses are to be feared, & the Quarten Ague with them. Also yong men shall then be sick, and in ieopardie of death, and women the like, & in sundrie places shall happen a famine, with a greate brute of straunge newes. And there is also to be feared the grieuous passions of the hearte, the ydlenesse of minde, or rather distraught, and the diseases of the matrice in women. And yet the plentie of Oyle and Wines, but the scarcitie of corne to be doubted that yeare.

And if the beginning of Ianuarie be on Thursedaye, then shall the Winter be calme, & temperate, the Spring windie, the Sommer vnseasonable, and the Haruest drie, so that corne and victualles shall then be deare, yet store of Oile and Wines that yeare. And there is a likelihoode of lighte sickenesses to happen vnto the common people, but more dangerous sicknesses vnto the richer sorte. And the blearednesse of eies also is to be feared, and that yong children shall then die, battels procured, and the sedition of souldiours, and an earthquake to be doubted that yeare. Also great talke of newes shal be in Kings and Princes houses, and greate perills also be doubted to happen vnto Princes in that yeare.

And if the firste daye of Ianuarie happen on Fridaye, then shall the Winter be verie cold and drie, the Spring boysterous and wette, the Sommer temperate, the Haruest more wette than drie. So that the blearednesse, and other diseases with the filthinesse of matter running in the eies is to be feared, and the pinne or web is likewise to be doubted to happen in that yeare. And yong children shall ther die, and a likelihoode that young women shall be allured vnto a wanton loue, throughe the flatterie and great perswasions of men. Also a suspition of battels to ensue in that yeare, and the plague and robberies then to happen. Also the plentie of fruites is then promised, althoughe muche haile fall that yeare.

And if the beginning of Ianuarie happen on Saterdaye, then the Winter shall be windie and vnstable, the Spring windie, and vnconstant of weather, the sommer vnstable with manye tempestes, and the Haruest drie: So that victualls shall be deare, small store of corne, and little fruite that yeare. Also shéepe shall not well prosper that yeare, and a likelihoode then of the death of swine, and that woode shall be deare.