A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees

Front matter

The Authors out of the which this Treatie is gathered.

Epistle

To the worshipfull maiter M. Gentleman, Thomas Hill wiheth all health and felicitie.

AS it hath beene, and is yet (worhipfull Sir) a trade commonly ved among mot men, to chooe from a greate number, ome one, vnder whoe name and title they may publihe their workes: Euen o I (following the teps of the learned, though in all other poyntes mot inferiour) hauing finihed this little treatie of Bees, and cating with my elfe to whome I mighte preente it, founde my elfe much bounden vnto your worhip, both for your gentlenee which I haue of late tated, and alo for youre friendhip which I finde alwayes readie towards me. And therefore hauing none other wayes to recompence the leat parte of youre curteie and gentlenee, thought it bet to gratifie youre worhip with uch a imple gifte as mine abilitie will uffer me to betow on uch a friend. And although Sir this Treatie is farre dionant from youre tudyes, yet conidering the pleaantnee of the matter, thoughte this might be made a recreation for your grauer tudyes. For what your mind hall bee earching for profound reaons, and oppreed with deepe cogitations, then taking and reading this little Pamphlet, it will bring a forgetfulnee vnto your former weerynee, and caue a newe delighte vnto your mind: For heerin may you ee, firt the maruellous gouernement of the Bees, through the onely intincte of nature, as in theyr obedience to their King, and other officers, in punihing the ydle loyterers, in cherihing the true labourers in theyr manner of fighting, with uche like a greate many, as it is wonderfull to reade, and almot vncredible to beleeue: econdly, the liuely effectes and commodities that arie of theyr Honie and Waxe. And latly, howe profitable they are for common wealth, and howe necearie for mans ve, I mighte heere peake muche in the praye of the Bee, which all I will omitte, eeyng onely myne intente is to hewe my elfe myndfull of your good turnes and benefites, deiring you to take this in good parte, whyche proceedeth from a well willing minde. And I am orie that at this preente I had none other matter

more worthy to haue gratified your worhip withall: but that whiche wanteth in power, aboundeth in good will. Thus troubling your worhip no longer, I commit you to the keeping of the Almightie, praying him to increae in you all vertue and godlynee, and to grant you the long yeares of .

Preface

The Preface into the intruction of Bees.

ALthough (gentle Reader) I haue not giuen thee anye labour of myne owne, but rather haue collected the ayings and writings of manye aunciente authours, yet I trut they hall be well accepted of thee without offence. For as he that etteth forth vnto the view & reading of all men uch knowledge, as by his lōg tudy & experience he hath gotten, is worthy to haue his due reward of commendation: euen o he is not to be dicōmended, who painfully reuoluing the bookes and volumes of many and diuers ancient writers, reduceth thē into one little Treatie, for the commoditie and profyte of the imple and vnlearned orte, for whoe onely akes I haue trauelled in the tranlation of this worthy matter, touching the right vage and handling of Bees: a thing very rare, and eldome eene in the Englihe tongue, and yet verie profitable for a common wealth, and commonlye ved among the poore hubandmen, though not in euery poynt as they ought to be, yet according to theyr knowledge and experience. But I, to the intente that a further learning mighte be added to their kill, haue o trauelled therein, that I trut their knowledge hal be increaed, uch as haue no knowledge at all, may be intructed without any other teaching. I haue ioyned this little Tretie vnto my booke of Gardening, for that mot men do ioyne thē both togither, as whē they place their Bees in their Gardens, whereas they may with lee paine and eailier, gather of the weete melling flowers, their Honie, and Waxe. And for all thee my paynes gentle Reader, I craue nought ele of thee, but to giue me that which of dutie in a maner I ought to haue, for if thou doct receyue any commoditie or fruite eyther by this, or by my other Treatie hereto annexed, whiche hathe to name the Husbendly coniectures, with undry rule of Phiicke, then giue me the reward of thy good report, and friendly accepting of thee two Treaties, and if not, yet accept mine

endeuours in good part, which be meant to do thee good. And thus leauing (gentle reader) to trouble thee farther, I commit thee to God, who giue thee the furthe of knowledge, both in thee and all other needefull artes.

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Table of Contents

A neceſſarie Table ſetting forth the

contents of theſe tvvo Treatiſes.

Theſe treated of in the firſt Treatiſe.

First Treatise

The firte Treatie etteth foorthe the trange gouernmēt, propertie, and benefite of the Bees, vvith the commoditie of their Ho and Waxe, whiche erue vnto many good ves, awell in outward as inwarde caues applied, gathered out of , Albertus, Varro, Columella, Palladius, Aritotle, Theophratus, Cardanus, Guilielmus de Conchis, ,

First Treatise, Chapter 1

¶ Why Bees are names to be created or parted betweene, or as it were ringed, or rather pleighted. What work the warme newe gathered in the Hiue, firt taketh in hande, and whether they maye liue after their tings bee gone. Cap. firt.

nameth Bees Cleft beats, bicaue of the diuiion or parting betweene of the head & houlders: and nameth thē plighted or ringed, in that their bodies are diuided with plightes and rings. And mot men know, that the Bees haue neyther inewes, bones, flehe, grittle, backe-bone, nor fat, but are only created of a certaine mixture, being a meane between thee, and hauing a very few intrailes. And againe, no man needeth to doubte, but that the Bees be a kinde of beats, greatly to be et by for man ve, & for mans prouiion, are nourihed of the aire, paing throughe the diuided places, which they by great diligence and care preerue from being topped, for as oone as they be topped, they hortly after die, like as the ame we may learne, when anye happeneth to fall or light into Dyle, which traight way after die, throughe the Dyle topping then their powers. They haue and fly with foure wings, that they maye the better carrye in their bellies the tings of reuengement. For when two of thē triue togither in flight, then do they hold and keep their tings in their mouths by a greedy deire, or for eagernee ake. Now after the eauen tarres named , be once rien in ight aboue our horizon, then do they hyde thē in their proper holes, o that they go eldome after abroade, vntill the Beanes doe bud, and if they happen to beginne at any tyme to flye abroade when as a fayre daye moueth them forwarde, then lacke they no uche dayes afterwarde, but occupy themelues. And firte they prepare and make their combes, which they fahion into apt houes, or rather celles of waxe, after this they haue yong, and then beginne they to gather hony. They liue alo the longer by hauing their tings, for that once gone, or taken away, they dye forthwith through the lacke of their intrailes, whiche they loe togither with their tings.

First Treatise, Chapter 2

Who firt taught the preparation and increaing of Bees, and founde oute the ve of Honny. Cap. ij.

THe reporte goeth, that one firt founde out and taught the increaing of Bees, whome writeth to be o earnet in the ame, that etting apart al other affayres, he only tudied night & day how he might bet intreate and ve Bees, according to their kinde. But others acribe this inuention to one , who (as they aye) deerued no lee commendation, both for his diligence and kill among Bees: but this he pecially followed in the fielde, and that farre from the Towne. And of this the common people (as by a nickname) no more named him , but , for his wilde or rather traunge life, whiche he then led in the fielde, Whome alo affyrmeth to haue written a Booke of the increaing and multiplying of Bees. And ascribeth this inuention, to the inhabitaunts of the hill (named ) being in the Countrey of , for there (aieth he,) was one , who taught (as mē write) the true and perfect ordering of thē: againe acribeth the inuention of Hony to one a man of in the firte Booke of hys makes, writeth, that , a people of , did firte finde out the Hony, acribeth the ame to one . Others to the . And many to , an auntient King of , others to , thus writing, that hath obtayned the renowne for finding out of Honnye.

First Treatise, Chapter 3

How Bees do naturally engender. Cap. iij.

FIrte the Bees proceede of Bees, by the actuall doing tegyther, after whiche they lay egges, itting uppon them, as the Hens do on their egs. And when they haue it on them for the pace of xlv daies, then do they hatch their yong ones, whiche yong (at the firt) come forth, much like to white Worms, except the King, who onely as he is hatched, hath wings. At the firte time, one of them hatcheth fiue young togither, the nexte time fewer, and o fewer & fewer, vntill he commeth to one at a time, bicaue the abundaunce whiche is in them, dothe in the continuaunce of time weaken. In the time of their itting they make muche noie to gette them heate withall. And aboute the ides of the combes, be ometimes greater Bees bred, which mē for their ound & noie do properly name Trūpeters, and they alo haue whole homes, of which come the batarde Bees. There be alo other Bees bigger in body, muche-like to the Kings, but they be yale, and haue no ting, bicaue of the heauinee of their body. All which kindes, didde oberue in the Hyues of a certaine Conull of Rome, whiche properly were made of verye thinne and cleare horne. Some write, that Bees are alo engendred and bredde montrouly, and that contrary to Nature, without the mutuall coniunction, if that a whole calfe be buried in the earth, and there lye rotting whiles the wind blow out of the Wete, for by that meanes, as writeth , doth the ame breede Bees. And not vnlike to this doeth in his firte Booke , and in hys ninth booke of Subtilties write, y of a rotten hore do wapes proceede: of an Ae, Humble bees: of a Mule, hornettes: of the haire of a woman (hauing then hir motherly coures) Serpēts: and of Creuies (the helles plucked off,) Scorpions.

First Treatise, Chapter 4

Of the vnperfect Bees, which men properly name Drone Bees. Cp. iiij.

First Treatise, Chapter 5

Whether the Bees drawe breath, or haue any bloud in them. Cap. v.

First Treatise, Chapter 6

Of the great vtilitie and profite of the Bees vnto mans ve. Cap. vj.

A Great profite arieth by Bees, if they be et in a conuenient and fit place, and that both carefully & wiely guided, as writeth in his vj. booke, where he willeth, that of al other clouen beates, the Bees to bee principallye cherihed, bicaue to man sve they gather a ubtile and wholeome myre, beyng bery weete, and beides they frame by a maruelous kill and cunning, theyr cotages of ware vnto mans ve, that no workman (to be neuer o ingenious) can do the like. The profite alo comming by them in a hort time, if the weather hindereth not, is o greate, that they increae in a horte time into manye warmes, which warmes againe increae others, o that the firte warmes increaed, they epecially thrut forth from them in the moneth of May, or June, by whych meanes they caue a great increae of thē. As affirmeth the ame of two head Gentlemen in Spaine, which only by the means of their Bees, gayned yerely tē thouand poūd (but I rather thinke fiue thouand pounde, which alo is very muche) yet here is to be noted, that the warmes of yxe yeares olde, doe eldome encreae after other warmes of themelues, although in ware they giue a great yeelde and gayne to the owners.

First Treatise, Chapter 7

Of the great care and diligeuce of the Bees. Cap. vij.

FIrt certain Bees as the kilfull practiers do write, tand in ye day time at the mouthes of ye Hyues, diligently loking to their buinee, like warders placed at the gates of a Catel, that they maye defend in afegarde whom they will within. In the night time they etle thēelues to ret vnto the morning, vntil one of them by humming twice or thrice about, doeth o tyire them forward to flye out after the other. For if they happen to keepe themelues in the morning within the Hiues, thē doth the ame declare a tempet to inue that daye. But being a cleare and fayre morning, then do they flye forth and returne againe to their Hiues, laden with the ubtaunce of the floures on their legges, for their buinee, and this epeciallye doe the yonger Bees, o that the other Bees beides do eyther carrye the water in their bils, or on the oft moinee of the whole bodie. The elder Bees remayning till within, do alo folow their buinee, as in diligētly laying vp, and aptly dreing the ame, as they wold dipoe their kindely foode. Such as luggih & not labouring they diligently note, which for their luggihnes, they bitterly punih to death.

And flying abroade in a mightye winde, they marueloulye tay and guyde themelues, by waying their bodyes down with little tones, caryed in their legges. They at the euening comming to ret do make lee and lee noye in the hyue, vntill one of them flyeth about, which by a like order as he moued them forewarde in the morning, euen o by the ame noye and humming doth he procure them to take their ret, and to be all ilent within the hiue. If the Bees happen to catter in their flying abroade, then do they call and gather them togither into a warme, by the helpe of making a hrill ounde, eyther with pā or baon, or other loude cymball. They alo followe their king whether oeuer 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 warme, for feare of looing them, the kilful practiers wil, the wings of the kings be broken off. Whiche feeling himelfe thus depriued of his wings, will not after attempt to flye forth of his boundes, but remayning till within, will o caue the other Bees to abide continually with him, not leauing the Hiue at any time after. They alo haue counels priuily and rulers among them.

And declareth the Bees to be the clenlyet amongt all other beates, bycaue in flying abroad, they hed then their dung from them, leate anye fauour or tincke of their dung be felte in their cotages or hoales. If thee want honny at anye time, then doe they eyther kill, or driue quite away the drone Bees.

First Treatise, Chapter 8

Of the maruellous gouernement of the kings of honny, and of the obedience which they ve to him. Cap. viij.

NAture hath not onlye committed hir lawes to bookes, the which men may lerne by, but hath epecially et forth conditions and properties, as for an example of the lyke, by the bees, whoe kings for doubt of reuenging, haue by the prouidēce of nature no tings. Whereby is to be vndertanded, that the kings ruling in power, thorough the lacke of their tings maye be by that meanes the lower to hurt, and offer reuengemente. Yet ome affirme the kings to haue tings, but they uppoe them not to ve their tings. And of this maketh a doubt whether the king be armed as the other bees, or lacketh a ting. Which putteth out of doubt, writing of the king he hath no ting, vnlee any perhappes thinketh that big head as it were, whiche the the king carrieth in his belly, to be his ting, with which at no time they ve to ting or hurt anye. This king only do Bees reuerence, and honor him in uch ort, that any of them is obedient and very ready at his bidding, to do whatoeuer he aigneth them vnto. Alo this obedience and eruice whiche they ve to their king, they do not the ame for feare of punihment, but onely of a loue which they owe vnto him. Yet they punih one another in uch orte, that after their tings be lot, they dye forthwith. 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 confeeth to be leer of body yet howoeuer the kings, they are notwithtanding far bigger of body, thā the honny bees, & haue a brighter goodlier head thē the other Bees, yet horter wings. So ye their king created among them, goeth not any time forth of ye hiue, without ye whole warm folow him. The king flying forth of the hiue at anye time, ye other folow him, in uch ort, ye eche couet to flie next him, & ioyeth to be een of ye king in office, and whereoeuer ye king ettleth him or reteth, there be other Bees placed like trōg holds or catels about him. About ye king alo certaine rulers, which wayte vpon him by a dayly authoritie. If anye happeneth, as writeth , to breake of the kings right wing, then from the king will not the warme after departe, as the like was reheared afore. Beides thee, the Bees haue a maruelous order among them, if their king happen to die, for then thay hal bitterly mourne for their king deade, and for the lacke of another, as uch 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 adde bewailyng and humming, after theyr King, they heape thicke togyther aboute the deade body, and vnlee another King increaeth 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.

First Treatise, Chapter 9

What kinde of Bees are bete, and rather to be choen. Cap. ix.

IN this point, for true knowledge of thee, doth dicribe thoe Bees to be bet, which be finall of body, and diuere and round, bycaue they be earnet in labour, and make a thinne honny, and better endure labour, and gather their honny on hilles, but the worer Bees gather their honny of the garden floures onlye, whiche be omewhat long of bodye, lyke to wapes. doth epecially commend the mall Bees, beyng omwhat long, light, and clenly in their buinee, and glitering to golde. So that the greater and rounder Bee, is dicommended of all writers. Although the fierce Bees are very ill, yet is their yrefulnee, a note of the better Bees, whiche may easily be appeaed, by the daylye haunting among them, for if the kepers do often handle the Hyues, then do they become gentle in in a hort time.

The Bees alo endure if they be diligently loked vnto, for the pace of ten yeares, and beyonde this age no warme can pae, althoughe the keepers upplye the Hyues yearelye with yong Bees, in the teade of the olde deade, for in the tenth yere, in a manner, of the generall death of them, the vniuerall kinde of the whole Hyue is then conume. And therefore, that thys maye not happen throughe all the Hyues in that place you mut alwayes increae your Hyues with yong Bees, which diligently Hyue in the pringtime, or beginning of Sommer, when as the warmes be firt and newe thrut forth of the Hiues, and o maye the number of your Hiues be encreaed. Agayne ome wryte, that in the Countrey of , the bete Bees bee white, bycaue they gyue theyr yeelde of Honnye twyce in a moneth. And affirmeth the bete Bees to be aboute in , abyding in the Earthe, for that thee doe buylde and make a tryple yeelde of ware, and giue alo aboundaunce of Honny.

The foreayde , affirmeth thoe Bees to be in healthe, which often kepe and be in a warme togither, that be clenly & can do their buinee and worke alike, and that quicke & light in the ame, beyng neyther hearie nor foule of body, or appearing dutie, uch alo which be not ouerleane of body, and that out of any of their cotages no dead bees be carried thēce, & forth of their Hiues. For all thee notes do declare uche like Bees, to be both euill and vnprofytable. declareth, that the bet Bees may be knowen by the fulnee or emptinee of their veels, for if the Hiues be full, then thoe Bees doth be bet cōmende, if the Hiues be nothing o full tuffed, thoe Bees doeth be greatly dialowe. And he alo praieth thoe Bees, whiche excelleth or paeth others in the loudnee of humming, or do abound in the great haunte of the warme, not broughte to the Hiues from farre places, o that there maye be uch agrement, that they be not after feared alwaye, with the newnee of the aire and place.

First Treatise, Chapter 10

VVhere the Hiues of Bees ought epecially to be placed. Cap. x.

willeth the Hiues of Bees in the winter time to be placed in a warme place, and in the hotte eaon of Sommer, in a colde place. in his firte Booke of hubandrie teacheth that the fittet place for bees, is that, whiche is in a Garden, not farre or rather neare to the owners houe, which by that meanes uffereth not the windes, nor the accee of theeues or beates.

Which alo nouriheth Trees growing on the Northide of the place, the better to defend the cold ayre from them, & cleare prings or faire riuer water running by. willeth the Hiues to be et open toward the outh, far from noye, & haunte of people and beates, neyther in a hote nor colde place, for eyther of thee do molet and harme the bees. Alo that the hyues tande in the bottome of a valley, or if not o poible, then placed neare to the valley, the better and eaier for the Bees to bring their food gathered to their hiues, and in anye cae farre from tincking puddels, ditches, dung-heapes, and uch like filthy tinckes, which greatly annoye and endamage the bees beyng neare hande to their huies. writing in his econd booke vnto a huwife of the countrey, willeth her alo to et the Hiues cloe to hir houe, and vnder ome hed, & that far from ye noye of formes, whiche is mente from a groue or wood, leate through the woodde or groue neare hande, the ame may giue the Eccho, whiche ounde in verye deede the Bees do greatly hate. willeth buhie trees to be planted and tand right before their hiues, like as the Peare tree is, the Peach tree, the Dake tree, many kyndes of Apple trees, the birche tree, Holy tree, the Bay tree alo, not allowed for his goodnee, but bycause ye ame giueth out muche honny, and al other trees which beare no bitter floures. And he willeth thee plantes and hearbes to grow neare hande, as the Roemary, the red and damake Roe, the white Lillie, the Uiolets, the Flouredeluce, the Dryganye, the Lime, the running Lime, the Sauery, weete Maorome, the Saffron floure, which coloureth the honny and maketh it mel weete, the beane floures, the French beane floures, the Mellylot floures, the hearbe Baulme, the white Poppie floures, and many other weete and wholeome floures, not here named. But the Bore tree, the Maticke tree, the dogge or Gatten tree, or as ome uppoe the long and high cheeritree they greatly hate, for hat tating of the floures of anye of thee, they die forthwyth. wylleth tanding waters, to be neare to their hiues, & o hallow, ye mal tones thrown into thē, may appeare aboue the water, & serue in teede of bridges for their often recoure to thē, & that they may aptly tretch their wings abroad on the tones, at the heate of the un. The tādings for hiues ought to be three foote ditant from the ground, & wittily topped about with red clay, leat vermine, and Myse creepe into the hiues, and poyle the honny combes. The Hiues alo oughte to be et a little aūder the one from the other, leat by loking into them, you hake one another by cleauing togither, and o diquiet the bees nexte to, which feare al manner of haking leat the ame throw not downe their weake workes of ware. And the mouthes of the hiues ought to tand omwhat tiper than the back part, leate rain beating in, might not lightly run out again by their entry or hole. For remedy of ye which, ome make a couer ouer theyr hole ye better to keepe off ye weather & raine. And no manner of heate o much harmeth them, as doth the bitter cold, & for this ye faces of hiues ought to be toward the winter riing of the un, that the Bees may o receiue the warme comofort, in ye morning comming forth, & be the liuelier, for colde doth cuae them to be luggih, and for that caue their holes ought to be very narrow, that as little colde as poible, may enter into them, & o narrowe made, that the Bees within may receiue the encreae but of one Bee at once. For by that meanes can neither the Beetil, butterflie, nor great moath enter, to annoye them. Beides for their often recoure home, willeth to make two or three commings into the hiue, omewhat ditant aunder.

First Treatise, Chapter 11

What things Bees doe chiefly abhorre, or greatly hate. Cap. xj.

TO bees, is that (named the Eccho) vngratefull or much dipleaing, which as writeth, doth greatly fear them, through the taunge ounde rebounding againe, and the mite alo doth muche molet and trouble them, beides the pinner through hir web hanging downe before the Hiue, and the luggihe butterflie (which nameth dihonorable) that is two wayes petierous, as the one, when he poyleth the ware, and dungeth within the Hiue, and the other, breading Magottes or little wormes within the combes. They greatly hate oyle, like as all the kindes of the other Bees doe, and a tinking auoure, which euidently appeareth by that kind of herbe named Mugworte, that they epecially hate, bycaue the ame is of a trāge tincke to them. The hornettes alo of the like orte creat, but bazer of kynde, they greatlye feare, for that to the Hornets the Hony Bees are a peciall foode. Alo they be meate to wallows to parrowes, and to all other mall byrdes.

The frogs beides, they do greatly feare, which only lye in waite for them, both in Marihes, running prings, hallowe waters, and little ditches, and the like doe the Toades lye in wayte for the Bees, whiche detroye manye of them. And the heepe doe greatly trouble the Honnye Bees, if o be they happen to fall or lighte into the Wooll of theyr backes, out of whyche, they cannot eaylye wynde or gette themelues againe.

And if any happeneth to boyle or eathe Riuer Creauies, or ea Crabbes neare to the Hiues, and that the Bees feele the fauour therof, they die forthwith.

First Treatise, Chapter 12

¶ By what ignes men may know, when the hony Bees are dieaed, and how men may cure them. Cap. xij.

THis is a petiall argument and note, that the Bees, are dieaed, if that they fly cattering in the warme, if they keep not their proper colour, but be (as it were) of a trange and cōtrarie colour: if they alo are ouer leane, if they appeare dutie and hairy, and that out of their cottages bee dead Bees carryed thence. When al thee notes and ignes are epied in the Bees, it is then highe time to eeke remedye for them, leate helpe (by longer running) be ought too late. Therefore willeth to miniter the kernels of , brued and mixed with weete and pleaaunt Wine, and the ame powred in to the chanels or gutters of halfe canes, et nere to ye mouths of hiues, or honny, with Roe leaues well beaten togither, and o minitred to them, or the berries of the Saruice tree brued, and mixed w Honny: for lacke of thee helpes, a man may make a moake of drie Oxe or Cowe dung, whiche moake muche delyghteth and comforteth them, o that the ame be often ved vnto Haruet.

But if throughe the Maggots or little wormes of the Butter-flyes the Bees be dieaed, then iudgeth it bete, to et a braen Candleticke, or uche like veell, with lighte burning in it at Euening, within the hyue, that to the ame light (ye Butter-flyes gathering, and flying about) may o fall down into it, and be detroyed.