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departing from the chimney-corner ; but in the summer 

 he was all alert, and in quest of his game in the fields, 

 and on sunny banks. Honey-bees, humble-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 he would linger round the tubs 

 and vessels, begging a draught of what he called bees' 

 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 com- 

 plexion ; 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, 

 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, etc. 



