BEE.] NATURAL HISTORY. 31 



of Bears. And no beast hath so great sleight to do evil 

 deeds as the Bear. And the Bear eateth crabs and ants for 

 medicine, and eateth flesh for great strength, and is an un- 

 patient beast and wrathful, and will be avenged on all 

 those that him toucheth. If another touch him, anon he 

 leaveth the first, and reseth on the second, and reseth on 

 the third ; and when he is taken, he is made blind with a 

 bright basin [cf. quotation from " Julius Caesar "] and is 

 bound with chains, and compelled to play : and tamed with 

 beating, and is an unsteadfast beast and unstable, and un- 

 easy, and goeth therefore all day about the stake to which 

 he is strongly tied. He licketh and sucketh his own feet, 

 and hath liking in the juice thereof. He can wonderly 

 stie [climb] upon trees unto the highest tops of them [and 

 robs wild bees of their honey]. And the hunter taketh 

 heed thereof, and pitcheth full sharp hooks and stakes about 

 the foot of the tree, and hangeth craftily a right heavy 

 hammer or a wedge tofore the open way to the honey, and 

 then the Bear cometh, and is an hungered, and the log 

 that hangeth there on high letteth him, and he putteth 

 away the wedge dispiteously, but after the removing, the 

 wedge falleth again and hitteth him on the ear, and he 

 hath indignation thereof; and putteth away the wedge dis- 

 piteously and right fiercely, and then the- wedge falleth and 

 smiteth him harder than it did before, and he striveth so 

 long with the wedge, until his feeble head doth fail by oft 

 smiting of the wedge, and then he falleth down upon the 

 pricks and stakes, and slayeth himself in that wise. Bears 

 licketh not drink, as beasts do with sawy teeth ; and 

 sucketh not neither swalloweth, as beasts do that have con- 

 tinual teeth, as sheep and men ; but biteth the water and 

 swalloweth it. Bartholomew (Bertbelet], bk. xviii. 112-3. 



Beast. V. Animal. 

 Bee. 



Like the bee, culling from every flower 

 The virtuous sweets, 



Our thighs pack'd with wax, our mouths with honey, 

 We bring it to the hive, and, like the bees, 

 Are murdered for our pains. 



ii. KING HENRY IV., iv. 5, 75-81. 



