The Ant's Foresight 
405 
of which it seems not possible to make anything. The name has most 
probably been derived from the barn-bishop ; whether in scorn of that 
silly and profane mockery, or in pious commemoration of it, must 
depend on the time of its adoption, before or after the Eeformation ; and 
it is not worth inquiring. The two words are transposed, and bee 
annexed as being perhaps thought more seemly in such a connection 
than fly-bug or beetle. The dignified ecclesiastics in ancient times 
wore brilliant mixtures of colours in their habits. Bishops had scarlet 
and black, as this insect has on its wing covers.” 
Tusser includes “ the bishop that burneth ” in his ten 
unwelcome guests in the dairy. The name barnaby has 
been derived by some authors from the low Dutch barn-bie , 
tire-fly, in allusion to the fiery colour of the wings. 
Shakspeare has but two references to the 
*** xit 
Ant. Glendower worries the impatient Hot¬ 
spur — 
“ With telling me of the mold warp and the ant, 
Of the dreamer Merlin and his prophecies. 5 ’ 
(1 Henry IV., iii. 1, 149.) 
The Fool in Lear tells Kent , “ We’ll set thee to school 
to an ant, to teach thee there’s no labouring i’ the winter ” 
(Lear, ii. 4, 67). Mr. Patterson, from this passage, draws 
the inference that Shakspeare, unlike his contemporaries, 
was aware that in this country ants lie dormant during-the 
cold winter months, and consequently do not require food. 
The ant has been held up as a model of industry, wisdom, 
and foresight, mainly on the authority of Solomon, who 
bids the sluggard— 
“go to the ant, consider her ways and be wise: which having no 
guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, and 
gathereth her food in the harvest.” (Proverbs vi. 6.) 
Chester writes:— 
“ The ant, or emote is a labouring thing, 
And have amongst them all a public weale, 
In sommer time their .meat they are providing. 
And secrets mongst themselves they do conceale : 
