Plinies Naturall Hiftorie. 517 



A and divine Neiiara which imraortalizcih the gods above. 



Chap. xv. 



"^Themarkes of good Home, 



'K /T Ore plentic of honie is gathered in the full of the MoonCj than at any other time : and 

 2 V \ if therewith the weather be faire^the fame will be more undeous and fattic. In all kinds, 

 the beft honic is that, which runneth of it felfeas new Wine and Oilc ; and called it is 

 Accdon^asa man wouldfay^gotten without care and travell All Summer-honie is redjas being 

 made in the drieft feafon of the yeare. The honie which commeth of Thyme, is held to bee the 



B beft and moft profitable : in colour like gold, in taft right plcafant ; evident to be knowne by the 

 little leaves therein : and the fame is likewife faitie . That which is made of Rofemarie, or within 

 the aire 5: vapour of the fea, is thick : and fuch verily as is thus candied^ and will not run like life- 

 honiCjis nothing commendable. As for Thyme honiCjit will not thicken:and if a man touch it;, 

 rope it will and draw finall flimie threds after it ; which is a principall %n of the weight and hea- 

 vinefle thereof* If honie be fhort in the handlings and foone breakcjand that the drops part one 

 from the other^it is thought to be a token of the worft and courfeft of all. Another triall there is 

 befides of good honiCanamely^if it be fragrant and odoriferous to finell unto/weet in taft^and 

 biting withallj orquickeatthetongues end j glutinous, and cleare. As touching the driving of 

 hives for Summer honie, T^4//»^ Dmyfim isoi opinion,that the tenth part thereof fhould be 



Q left for the Bees, namely,if they were full; if not, than according to the proportion: but if they 

 were but light and very thin, he would not have them to bee touched at all. The Athenians goc 

 by this ru]e,and doe obferve duly the Caprificiall day, which is kept holie unto Vulcan : for then 

 they ever begin to drive their hives for this kind of honie^ 



Chap, xvr* 



P§j of 4 third kind of Home t and horv a mAn Jbould hctPgood Bees 6 



THere is a third fort of wild honie, which the Greekcs call *Ericaeum,and isof leaft rccko- *;.Hcath or 

 ning. It is gathered after the firft raine in Autumne^when the heath and lings only bloum Lmg-homc. 

 ^ in the woods,whereupon it feemeth as if it were fandie. This kind of honie is engendered 

 for the moft part after the rifing of Ar»fiurus, much about the Ides of September. Some there 

 be that continue in gathering Summer honie unto the rifing of Ardurus : bctwcene which and 

 the Autumne i£quino6tiall arc 14 daics :&fiom thence unto thefetting of the Vergili3e(namc- 

 ly^for the (pace of 48 daies)theraid heath is moft in his blouming time. This fhrub the Atheni- 

 ans call Tetralix j the Euboeans name it Sifara : and they repute it to be a flower moft pleafant to 

 Bees,haply,becaufeatthattimethereisnoplentieof other flowers. This gathering of honic is 

 about theend of vintage,& theoccultation of the Vcrgiliae^and commonly endeth by the Ides 

 of November. In driving of the hives for this honnie, by good reafon, two [third] parts thereof 

 would be relerved for the Bcesrand eipecially thofe corners of the combes, which have in them ^ 

 E the provifion called Erithacc. From the midsofwinter unto the rifing of Ardurus, for 60 dales 

 Bees are nourilhed only with fleepe,without any other food.B ut from that time unto the Spring 

 cquinodialljand namely,where the weather is more warme^they are awake.Howbeit,they lieftii 

 in their hive,& then fall to their vi6iuals which they had laid up in ftore againft that time. But in 

 Italic they do the like indeed after the rifing of the ftar Vergilise : howbeit.untill then they do no- 

 thingbut fleep. And there verily, men ufe when they take the honie forth of the hives,to weigh 

 the combs,and fo by weight difpcnce & fct out how much they will leave them for their food*, ha- 

 ving this opinion,that they are bound to dealc in juftice &equitie even with the very Bees : in(b- 

 niuch,as it is commonly faid,lf they be defrauded of their due in this focietie Si part-takingjand 

 find falfehood in feliowfhip,they will die for greefe: and fo both the old ftock will be loftjand the 

 F hope alfo of anewincrea{c.In the firft place therforc,this isarule,Thatfuch folk only be fet about ^ 

 this bufinclfe to drive the hives, who are neat and clean. A theefej&: a woman whiles fbe is in her 

 monthly ficknelfe,they abhor.In the taking out of honic,the beft means to drive away the Bees, 

 is to fmoke them out of the hive : for fcaie that you anger them, or that they devour the honic 

 themfclves with more grcedinefre.Moreovcr^whcn they grow to be idle,perfua>ingand fmoking 



Eq iij ©f 



