162 DOMESTIC ANIMAXS. 



into a trembling posture. When I perceived the veil was of no further 

 service, she at last gave me leave to remove it. This done, a most 

 affecting spectacle presented itself to the view of all the company, filling 

 me with the deepest distress and concern, as I thought myself the 

 unhappy instrument of drawing her into so great and imminent hazard 

 of her life, which now so manifestly lay at stake. 



" It is not in my power to tell the confusion and distress of mind I 

 was in, from the awful apprehensions it raised ; and her dread and terror 

 in such circumstances may reasonably be supposed to be much more. 

 Every moment she was at the point of retiring with all the bees about 

 her. Vain thought! to escape by flight. She might have left the 

 place indeed, but could not the company, and the remedy would have 

 been much worse than the disease. Had she enraged them, all resist- 

 ance had been vain, and nothing less than her life would have atoned 

 for the offense. And now to have had that life (in so much jeopardy) 

 insured, what would I not have given. 



"To prevent, therefore, a flight which must have been attended with 

 so fatal a consequence, I spared not to urge all the arguments I could 

 think of, and used the most affectionate entreaties, begging her, with all 

 the earnestness in my power, to stand her ground, and keep her present 

 posture ; in order to which, I gave encouragement to hope, in a little 

 space, for a full discharge from her disagreeable companions; on the 

 other hand, assuring her she had no other chance for her life. I was, 

 through necessity, constantly reasoning with her, or else beseeching and 

 encouraging her. 



" I began to search among them for the queen, now got in a great 

 body upon her breast, about her neck, and up to her chin. I presently 

 saw her, and immediately seized her, taking her from the crowd, with 

 some of the commons in company with her, and put them together into 

 the hive. Here I watched her for some time, and as I did not observe 

 that she came out, I conceived an expectation of seeing the whole body 

 quickly abandon their settlement ; but instead of that, I soon observed 

 them, to my greater sorrow and surprise, gathering closer together without 

 the least signal for departing. Upon this I immediately reflected, that 

 either there must be another sovereign, or that the same was returned. 

 I directly commenced a second search, and in a short time, with a most 

 agreeable surprise, found a second or the same; she strove, by entering 

 further into the crowd, to escape me, which I was fully determined 

 against; and apprehending her without any further ceremony, or the 

 least apology, I reconducted her, with a great number of the populace, 

 into the hive. And now the melancholy scene began to change, and 

 give way to one infinitely more agreeable and pleasant. 



" The bees, presently missing their queen, began to dislodge and re- 

 pair to the hive, crowding into it in multitudes, and in the greatest 

 hurry imaginable. And in the space of two or three minutes the maid 

 had not a single bee about her, neither had she so much as one sting, a 

 small number of which, would have quickly stopped her breath. 



"How inexpressible the pleasure which succeeded her past fears! 

 What joy appeared in every countenance upon so signal a deliverance ! 

 and what mutual congratulations were heard ! I never call to mind the 



