264 The Natural History of Selborne 



bees, and wasps, were his prey wherever he found them ; he had no 

 apprehensions from their stings, but would seize them nudis manibus, 

 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 captives, 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 before 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 the sake 

 of honey, of which he was passionately fond. Where metheglin 

 was making 1 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 sallow, and of a cadaverous complexion ; and, 

 except in his favourite pursuit, in which he was wonderfully adroit, 

 discovered no manner of understanding. 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 exhibitor of bees ; and 

 we may justly say of him now, 



" Thou, 



Had thy presiding star propitious shone, 

 Should 'st 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. 



I am, &c. 



* Thomas Wildman published a " Treatise on the Management of Bees " ; 

 with the various methods of cultivating them, both ancient and modern, 410, 1768. 



1 This is an interesting passage as showing that metheglin was still commonly 

 made in Wessex only a hundred years ago. ED. 



