OF SELBORNE. 235 
ey-bees, humble-bees, and wasps were his prey 
wherever he found them: he had no apprehensions 
from their stings, but would seize them nudis man- 
ibus, and at once disarm them of their weapons, 
and suck their bodies for the sake of their honey- 
bags. Sometimes he would fill his bosom, between 
his shirt and his skin, with a number of these cap- 
tives, and sometimes would confine them in bottles. 
He was a very merops apiaster, or bee-bird, and 
very injurious to men that kept bees; for he would 
slide into their bee-gardens, and, sitting down be- 
fore the stools, would rap with his finger on the 
hives, and so take the bees as they came out. He 
has been known to overturn hives for thessake of 
honey, of which he was passionately fond. Where 
metheglin was making, he would linger round the 
tubs and vessels, begging a draught of what he 
called bee-wine. As he ran about, he used to 
make a humming noise with his lips, resembling 
the buzzing of bees. This lad was lean and sal- 
low, and of a cadaverous complexion ; and, except 
in his favourite pursuit, in which he was wonder- 
fully adroit, discovered no manner of understand- 
ing. Had his capacity been better, and directed 
to the same object, he had perhaps abated much of 
our wonder at the feats of a more modern exhibit- 
er of bees; and we may justly say of him now, 
“ Thou, 
Had thy presiding star propitious shone, 
Shouldst Wildman be.” 
When a tall youth, he was removed from hence 
to a distant village, where he died, as I understand, 
before he arrived at manhood. 
