A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/First Treatise/Chapter 7
Of the great care and diligeuce of the Bees. Cap. vij.
{{bl|FIrſt certain Bees as the ſkilfull practiſers do write, ſtand in ye day time at the mouthes of ye Hyues, diligently loking to their buſineſſe, like warders placed at the gates of a Caſtel, that they maye defend in ſafegarde whom they will within. In the night time they ſetle thēſelues to reſt vnto the morning, vntil one of them by humming twice or thrice about, doeth ſo ſtyire them forward to flye out after the other. For if they happen to keepe themſelues in the morning within the Hiues, thē 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 Bees, ſo that the other Bees beſides do eyther carrye the water in their bils, or on the ſoft moſſineſſe of the whole bodie. The elder Bees remayning ſtill within, do alſo folow their buſineſſe, as in diligētly laying vp, and aptly dreſſing the ſame, as they wold diſpoſe their kindely foode. Such as 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 Bees 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 pā 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 betweene them.
Wherefore 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 feeling 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 Bees 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 Bees to be the clenlyeſt amongſt all other beaſtes, bycauſe in flying abroad, they ſhed then their dung from them, leaſte anye fauour 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 Bees.