304 
DOMESTIC ANIMALS. 
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 w'ith 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 I 
and what mutual congratulations were heard ! I never call to mind the 
