NATURAL HISTORY OF SEL BORNE, 193 



would rap with his linger 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 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 under- 

 standing. 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, 

 Shouldst 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. 



LETTER XXYIII. 



Selborne, Jan. Sth, 1776. 



It is the hardest thing in the world to shake off super- 

 stitious prejudices : they are sucked in, as it were, with 

 our mother's milk ; and, growing up with us at a time when 

 they take the fastest hold and make the most lasting 

 impressions, become so interwoven into our very constitu- 

 tions, that the strongest good sense is required to disengage 



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