THE HONEY-BEE. 153 



Cold, generally speaking, is prejudicial to bees. 

 When tempted by a brigbt sun after a fall of snow, 



Oxford in 1634, gives, in his quaint way, an amusing descrip- 

 tion of a scene of bee-pillage. After particularizing various 

 enemies to the honey-gathering tribe, he proceeds " But not 

 any on e of des e , nor all des e togeder, doo half so muc harm to 

 de Bees, as de Bees. Apis apt, ut homo homing Lupus. Dey 

 mak de greatest spoil bot of bees and of hoonnie. Dis rob- 

 bing is practised all de yeer. In winter, soom wil bee prowl- 

 ing abroad ; and soom ar so teevishly disposed, dat all de 

 soommer long, wen abundanc 6 of hoonni is every wer to bee 

 had, dey wil yet bee filcing, dowg (though) dey di e for it But 

 in Virgo (August) is de most dangerous tim e of all : den sal 

 all de stalls in your garden bee tryed of wat mettle dey ar 

 mad e . De Robbers ar towgt (thought) to bee poor swarms 

 and stoks, wic hav e not sufficiently provided demselvs for win- 

 ter. But indeed, sue ar fitter to bee robbed dan to be robbers. 

 Der is no teef to de rich teef: wo (who) aldowg (although) hee 

 hav e enoug, and mor dan enoug ; yet, by hook or by crook, 

 hee will hav mor, dowg de poor starv* 5 for it. Wen de teeves, 

 having first mad e an entri, begin to coom tik, and de tru e bees 

 perceiv 6 demselvs to bee assaulted by many ; dey suddenly 

 mak e an outcri 6 ; and issuing out of deir holds by troops, pre- 

 par 6 demselvs to battel. Soom keep de gat e s ; soom fli e about ; 

 soom run in again, to see wat is doon der 6 ; soom begin to 

 grapple wid de enimi ; and dat wit sue a noise and din, as if 

 de drum did sound an all-arm. Besid e s wic bas e sound, you 

 sal eftsoons in de heat of de battel, hear a mor 6 shril and 

 sharp not 6 , as it wer 6 of a flut 6 ; as saith Virgil, 



" Vox 



Auditur fractos sonitus imitata tubarum," 



wic, I am out of doubt, is tuned by deir generall commander, 

 encooraging dem to figt for deir Princ 6 , deir lives, and deir 

 goods. Den sal you see de enimi e s bestur demselves most 

 venturously ; soom violently, toorrow de tickest, trusting in 

 at de gat e s ; oders scalling de walls, and tearing dem down, 

 On de oder sid e , de defendants will behav 6 demselves as brave- 



