A great profite ariseth by Bées, if they be set in a conuenient and fit place, and that both carefully & wisely guided, as Plinie writeth in his xj. booke, where he willeth, that of al other clouen beastes, the Bées to bee principallye cherished, bicause to mans vse they gather a subtile and wholsome iuyce, beyng very swéete, and besides they frame by a maruelous skill and cunning, theyr cotages of waxe vnto mans vse, that no workman (be he neuer so ingenious) can do the like. The profite also comming by them in a short time, if the weather hindereth not, is so greate, that they increase in a shorte time into manye swarmes, which swarmes againe increase others, so that the firste swarmes increased, they especially thrust forth from them in the moneth of May, or Iune, by whych meanes they cause a great increase of them. As Varro affirmeth the same of two head Gentlemen in Spaine, which only by the means of their Bées, gayned yerely ten thousand pound (but I rather thinke fiue thousand pounde, which also is very muche) yet here is to be noted, that the swarmes of syxe yeares olde, doe seldome encrease after other swarmes of themselues, although in waxe they giue a great yéelde and gayne to the owners.
¶ Of the great care and diligence of the Bees. Cap.vij.
First certain Bées as the skilfull practisers do write, stand in the day time at the mouthes of the Hyues, diligently loking to their businesse, like warders placed at the gates of a Castel, that they maye so defend in safegarde whom they will within. In the night time they setle themselues to rest vnto the morning, vntil one of them by humming twice or thrice about, doeth so styrre them forward to flye out after the other. For if they happen to kéepe themselues in the morning within the Hyues, then doth the same declare a tempest to insue that daye. But being a cleare and fayre morning, then do they flye forth and returne againe to their Hiues, laden with the substaunce of the floures on their legges, for their businesse, and this especiallye doe the yonger Bées, so that the other Bées besides do eyther carrye the water in their bils, or on the soft mossinesse of the whole bodie. The elder Bées remayning still within, do also folow their businesse, as in diligently laying vp, and aptly dressing the same, as they wold dispose their kindely foode. Such as be sluggish & not labouring they diligently note, which for their sluggishnes, they bitterly punish to death.
And flying abroade in a mightye winde, they maruelouslye stay and guyde themselues, by waying their bodyes down with little stones, caryed in their legges. They at the euening comming to rest, do make lesse and lesse noyse in the hyue, vntill one of them flyeth about, which by a like order as he moued them forewarde in the morning, euen so by the same noyse and humming doth he procure them to take their rest, and to be all silent within the hiue. If the Bées happen to scatter in their flying abroade, then do they call and gather them togither into a swarme, by the helpe of making a shrill sounde, eyther with pan or bason, or other loude cymball. They also followe their king whether soeuer he taketh his flight, who beyng wearie, and not further able to flie, they carrye hym betwéene them.
Wherfore that the king may not often attempte forth with the swarme, for feare of loosing them, the skilful practisers wil, the wings of the kings be broken off. Whiche féeling himselfe thus depriued of his wings, will not after attempt to flye forth of his boundes, but remayning still within, will so cause the other Bées to abide continually with him, not leauing the Hiue at any time after. They also haue counsels priuily and rulers among them.
And Aristotle declareth the Bées to be the clenlyest amongst all other beastes, bycause in flying abroad, they shed then their dung from them, leaste anye sauour or stincke of their dung be felte in their cotages or hoales. If these want honny at anye time, then doe they eyther kill, or driue quite away the drone Bées.
¶ Of the maruellous gouernement of the kings of honny Bees, and of the obedience which they vse to him. Cap.viij.
Nature hath not onlye committed hir lawes to bookes, the which men may lerne by, but hath especially set forth conditions and properties, as for an example of the lyke, by the bées, whose kings for doubt of reuenging, haue by the prouidence of nature no stings. Whereby is to be vnderstanded, that the kings ruling in power, thorough the lacke of their stings maye be by that meanes the slower to hurt, and offer reuengemente. Yet some affirme the kings to haue stings, but they suppose them not to vse their stings. And of this Plinie maketh a doubt whether the king be armed as the other bées, or lacketh a sting. Which Columella putteth out of doubt, writing of the king that he hath no sting, vnlesse any perhappes thinketh that big head as it were, whiche the king carrieth in his belly, to be his sting, with the which at no time they vse to sting or hurt anye. This king only do Bées reuerence, and honor him in such sort, that any of them is obedient and very ready at his bidding, to do whatsoeuer he assigneth them vnto. Also this obedience and seruice whiche they vse to their king, they do not the same for feare of punishment, but onely of a loue which they owe vnto him. Yet they punish one another in such sorte, that after their stings be lost, they dye forthwith. Aristotle writeth of two maner of kings, the one as he affirmeth to be red, which he iudgeth the better, the other king black of colour, which he confesseth to be lesser of body, yet howsoeuer the kings be, they are notwithstanding far bigger of body, than the honny bées, & haue a brighter and goodlier head then the other Bées, yet shorter wings. So that their king created among them, goeth not any time forth of the hiue, without the whole swarm folow him. The king flying forth of the hiue at anye time, the other folow him, in such sort, that eche couet to flie next him, & ioyeth to be séen of the king in office, and whersoeuer the king settleth him or resteth, there be other Bées placed like strong holds or castels about him. About the king also be placed certaine rulers, which wayte vpon him by a dayly aucthoritie, If anye happeneth, as writeth Plinie, to breake of the kings right wing, then from the king will not the swarme after departe, as the like was rehearsed afore. Besides these, the Bées haue a maruelous order among them, if their king happen to die, for then they shal bitterly mourne for their king deade, and for the lacke of another, as such whiche cannot be guided and ruled without a king among them, and of this they be in continuall mourning. So that for the time, they carry no foode into theyr Hyues, nor flye not forth, but with a sadde bewailyng and humming, after theyr King, they heape thicke togyther aboute the deade body, and vnlesse another King increaseth by little and lyttle among them, they dye for hunger. Theyr king laboureth not, but as the other flye foorthe, hee in the meane tyme as an exhorter moueth and encourageth forwarde euerye one to hys worke, by his flying aboute in the Hiue.
¶ What kinde of Bees are beste, and rather to be chosen. Cap.ix.
In this point, & for true knowledge of these, doth M. Varro discribe those Bées to be best, which be small of body, and diuerse and round, bycause they be earnest in labour, and make a thinne honny, and better endure labour, and gather their honny on hilles, but the worser Bées gather their honny of the garden floures onlye, whiche be somewhat long of bodye, lyke to waspes. Virgil doth especially commend the small Bées, beyng somwhat long, light, and clenly in their businesse, and glistering to golde. So that the greater and rounder Bée, is discommended of all writers. Although the fierce Bées are very ill, yet is their yrefulnesse, a note of the better Bées, whiche may easily be appeased, by the daylye haunting among them, for if the kepers do often handle the Hyues, then do they become gentle in a short time.