56 THE HONEY-BEE. 



to be called the universal favourite, it is surely the Honey-Bee. 

 Little children sing about it in the nursery ; it is an everlasting 

 theme with those grown-up children the poets ; and the philo- 

 sophers find in it abundant scope for their profoundest study. 

 It ranges at large over the new world as well as the old, every- 

 where known, and everywhere an object of interest, and even 

 affection. " A bee among the flowers in spring," says Paley, " is 

 one of the cheerfullest objects that can be looked upon. Its life 

 appears to be all enjoyment ; so busy and so pleased." And 

 what a picture there is in that line of Keats' 



" A May busli with the bees about it ;" 



and in that other exquisite touch, humming the very sound, as 

 well as painting the scene 



" The bees bustling 



Down in the blue bells." 



But it would be as impossible to insert here the thousand 

 beautiful allusions to the Honey-Bee to be found in the poets of 

 all time, as to go into the wonderful details of Bee history. Nor 

 is it needful ; for who has not read them again and again ? 

 With one choice and chaste, though seldom-quoted passage from 

 Leigh Hunt, therefore, we will send the little fellow about his 

 business the business our fragment so prettily alludes to : 

 " Wax-lights, though we are accustomed to overlook the fact, 

 and rank them with ordinary commonplaces, are true fairy tapers 

 a white metamorphosis from the flowers, crowned with the 

 most intangible of all visible mysteries, fire. Then there is honey, 

 which a Greek poet would have called the sister of wax a thing 

 as beautiful to eat as the other is to look upon ; and beautiful to 

 look upon too. What two extraordinary substances to be made 

 by little winged creatures out of roses and lilies ! What a sin- 

 gular and lovely energy in nature, to impel those little creatures 

 thus to fetch out the sweet and elegant properties of the coloured 

 fragrancies of the garden, and serve them up to us for food and 

 light ! honey to eat, and waxen tapers to eat it by." 



The proper place for this beautiful passage is surely not the 

 author's "Table Talk," whence we take it, but amongst the 

 other sweet and pleasant thing in that famous " Jar of Honey 

 from Mount Hybla." 



