A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/First Treatise/Chapter 8
Of the maruellous gouernement of the kings of honny, 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 bees, whoſe kings for doubt of reuenging, haue by the prouidēce 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 bees, or lacketh a ſting. Which Columella putteth out of doubt, writing of the king he hath no ſting, vnleſſe any perhappes thinketh that big head as it were, whiche the the king carrieth in his belly, to be his ſting, with which at no time they vſe to ſting or hurt anye. This king only do Bees 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 {{bl|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, they are notwithſtanding far bigger of body, thā the honny bees, & haue a brighter goodlier head thē the other Bees, yet ſhorter wings. So ye their king created among them, goeth not any time forth of ye hiue, without ye whole ſwarm folow him. The king flying forth of the hiue at anye time, ye other folow him, in ſuch ſort, ye eche couet to flie next him, & ioyeth to be ſeen of ye king in office, and whereſoeuer ye king ſettleth him or reſteth, there be other Bees placed like ſtrōg holds or caſtels about him. About ye king alſo certaine rulers, which wayte vpon him by a dayly authoritie. 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 Bees haue a maruelous order among them, if their king happen to die, for then thay 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.