180 APID^ BEES. 



here and there all over Hetrnria, were all covered with 

 swarms of Bees; and after that settled in the camp of 

 Cassius; what great commotions after followed Julius 

 Capitolinus relates in his history. At what time also, 

 through the treachery of the Germans in Germany, there 

 was a mighty slaughter and overthrow of the Romans. P. 

 Fabius, and Q. Elius being consuls in the camp of Drusus 

 in the tent of Hostilius llutilus, a swarm of Bees is re- 

 ported to have sate so thick, that they covered the rope and 

 the spear that held up the tent. M. Lepidus, and Munat. 

 Plancus being consuls, as also in the consulship of L. Paulus, 

 and C. Metellus, swarms of Bees flying to Rome (as the 

 augurs very well conjectured) did foretell the near approach 

 of the enemy. Pompey likewise making war against Ca?sar, 

 when he had called his allies together, he set his army in 

 order as he went out of Dyrrachium, Bees met him and sate 

 so thick upon his ensigns that they could not be seen what 

 they were. Philistus and ^Elian relate, that while Diony- 

 sius the tyrant did in vain spur his horse that stuck in the 

 mire, and there at length left him, the horse quitting himself 

 by his own strength, did follow after his master the same 

 way he went with a swarm of Bees- sticking on his mane ; 

 intimating by that prodigy that tyrannical government which 

 Dionysius affected over the Galeotae. In the Helvetian 

 History we read, that in the year 1385, when Leopoldus of 

 Austria began to march towards Sempachum with his array, 

 a swarm of Bees flew to the town and there sate upon the 

 tyles; whereby the common people rightly foretold that 

 some forain force was marching towards them. So Yirgil, 

 in 7 ^neid: 



The Bees flew buzzing throvigli the liquid air: 

 And laitcht upon the top o' th' laurel tree ; 



When the Soothsayers saw this sight full rare, 

 They did foretell th' approach of th' eneniie. 



That which Herodotus, Pausanias, Dio Cassius, Plutarch, 

 Julius Ceesar, Julius Capitolinus, and other historians with 

 greater observation then reason have confirmed. Saon 

 Acrephniensis, when he could by no means finde the oracle 

 Trophonius; Pausanias in his Boeticks saith he was lead 

 thither by a swarm of Bees. Moreover, Plutarch, Pausa- 

 nias, yElian, Alex. Alexandrinus, Theocritus and Textor are 

 authors that Jupiter Melitasus, Hiero of Syracuse, Plato, 



