18 THE HISTORY OF BEES. 
I began to fearch among them for the Queen, now got 
in a great body upon her breaft, about her neck, and up 
to her chin. I immediately feized her, taking her from 
among the croud with fome of the commons in company 
with her, and put them together into the hive. Here I 
watched her for fome time, and as I did not obferve that 
fhe came out, I conceived an expectation of feeing the 
whole body quickly abandon their fettlement ; but inftead 
of that, I foon obferved thein gathering clofer together, 
without the leaft fignal for departing. Upon this I im- 
mediately reflected, that either there muft be another 
Sovereign, or that the fame was returned; I directly | 
commenced.a fecond fearch, and in a fhort time, with 
a moft agreeable furprize, found a fecond, or the fame 5 
fhe ftrove, by entering further into the croud, to efcape 
me, but I re-conducted her, with a great number of the 
populace, into the hive. And now the melancholy 
{cene began to change, to one infinitely more agreeable 
and pleafant, 
The Bees prefently mifling their Queen, began to dif- 
lodge, and repair to the hive, crouding into it in multi- 
tudes, and in the greateft hurry imaginable. And in the 
{pace of two or three minutes the maid had not a fingle 
Bee about her, neither had fhe fo much as one fting, a 
{mall number of which would have quickly flopped her 
breath. 2 
How inexpreflible the pleafure which fucceeded her 
paft fears ! ! I never call to mind the wonderful elcape, 
without a fecret and very fenfible pleafure. 
This 

