32 SHAKESPEARE'S [BEE. 



'Tis seldom when the bee doth leave her comb 

 In the dead carrion. 



ii. KING HENRY IV., iv. 4., 79-80. 



So work the honey bees, 

 Creatures that by a rule in nature teach 

 The act of order to a peopled kingdom. 

 They have a king and officers of sorts ; 

 Where some, like magistrates, correct at home, etc. 



KING HENRY V., i. 2, 187-204. 



The commons, like an angry hive of bees, 

 That want their leader, scatter up and down, 

 And care not who they sting in his revenge. 



ii. KING HENRY VI., iii. 2, 125-8. 



BEES be cunning and busy in office of making of honey, 

 and they dwell in their own places that are assigned to 

 them, and challenge no place but their own. And they 

 build and make their houses with a wonderful craft, and 

 of divers flowers ; and they make honey-combs, wound and 

 writhen with wax full craftily, and fill their castles with 

 full many children. They have an host and a king, and 

 move war and battle, and fly a^d void smoke and wind, 

 and make them hardy and sharp to battle with great noise. 

 Many have assayed and found that often Bees are gendered 

 and come of carrions of rothern [/.<?., cattle]. And for to 

 bring forth Bees, flesh of calves which be slain is beat that 

 worms may be gendered and come of the rotted blood, the 

 which worms after take wings and be made Bees, as shern- 

 birds [i.e., hornets] be gendered of carrions of horses. Bees 

 make among them a king, and ordain among them 

 common people. And though they be put and set under 

 a king, yet they be free and love their king that they 

 make by kind love ; and defend him with full great 

 defence ; and hold honour and worship to perish and be 

 spilt for their king ; and do their king so great worship 

 that none of them dare go out of their house, nor to get 

 meat, but if the king pass out and take the principality 

 of flight. And Bees choose to their king him that is most 

 worthy and noble in highness and fairness, and most clear 

 in mildness, for that is chief virtue in a king. For though 

 their king have a sting, yet he useth it not in wreak. 

 And kindly the more huge Bees are, the more lightei 

 they be, for the greater Bees be lighter than the less B< 

 And also Bees that are unobedient to the king, they deei 



