The Life of the Bee 



To this spot, where life would seem 

 more restricted than elsewhere — if it be 

 possible for life indeed to become re- 

 stricted — a sort of aged philosopher had 

 retired ; an old man somewhat akin to 

 Virgil's — 



*' Man equal to kings, and approaching the gods ; " 



whereto Lafontaine might have added, — 



** And, like the gods, content and at rest." 



Here had he built his refuge, being a 

 little weary ; not disgusted, for the large 

 aversions are unknown to the sage ; but a 

 little weary of interrogating men, whose 

 answers to the only interesting questions 

 one can put concerning nature and her 

 veritable laws are far less simple than 

 those that are given by animals and 

 plants. His happiness, like the Scythian 

 philosopher's, lay all in the beauties of 

 his garden ; and best-loved and visited 

 most often, was the apiary, composed of 



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