The: BO OK. ‘of 
depofites her eggs in the new-built cells of 
the combs: the labouring Bees which attend 
the female during the fwarming, begin imme- 
diately at the very time when the hive is pre- 
fented to them, or as foon as they have chofen 
a convenient place for themfelves for, they 
have no guide or director, to make their 
combs; and the female doing her office as 
haftily, the freth combs are in a very fhort 
time filled with her eggs: the female drops 
one egg imto each cell; and what deferves 
great attention is, the female is fo expeditious 
in this work, that fhe does not regard whether 
the cells be only juft begun or perfected, or 
whether they have been built fome time. It 
is enough for her the obliquely deverging tri- 
angular foundation be laid; there fhe imme- 
diately drops in her eggs, and the labouring 
Bees, which, for this purpofe continually at- 
170 
tend the female at that time wherever fhe goes, 
uiterwards further perfect the unfinithed cells. 
To execute this work, they are ftimulated with 
an extraordinary folicitude, love and induftry, 
imprefled on them by the fupreme Creator 
towards thofe tender eggs, which are to afford 
the offspring of the Bees, as towards their na- 
tural brethren. We mutt particularly obferve, 
that the earneftnefs wherewith they undertake 
the care of bringing them up, is not extin- 
guifhed in them; though the female be taken 
from among them, as I fhall explain in another 
place, where I fhall alfo demonftrate that the 
whole fociety of Bees regard not any thing 
elfe but only propagation and rearing of their 
young; nor is there any other government 
whatfoever, nor any election, or any politic 
or ceconomical difcipline or order among 
them. The moft wife, and all and every 
where adorable God, has implanted fuch in- 
genuity and wifdom in thefe infects, that they 
can bring up their iffue and prepare habita- 
tions for them, which the fame moft power- 
ful Creator has not been pleafed to give to 
other creatures; whereof, among the reft, the 
Silkworms may be an inftance; and it may be 
evidently proved that the cohabitation of Bees 
has no other end but to perpetuate their {pecies ; 
and thus, by the help of an exaét order of 
production, to perpetuate their continuance. 
From thefe confiderations it therefore fol- 
lows, that among Bees there is no wifer re- 
gulation than among domeftic fowls; for 
they have their natural defire to fit; they 
make nefts, and nourifh their young, being 
compelled thereto by fuch laws as they cannot 
avoid nor fupprefs by any rational principle ; 
becaufe they are imprefled on them by the 
eternallaw of natures. Thefe little infects are 
under as great neceflity to perform all thefe 
actions, as the winter is to follow the fummer. 
The only difference among the feveral kinds 
is, that fome execute thefe functions in a 
manner more convenient, more orderly, and 
inore agreeable to reafon than others. ‘This 
appears chiefly in the Bees, and hence there 
is no authority for the prevalent and common 
Nv AGT UHRids: Gi, 
opinion that the government of Bees is carried 
_on with the fcepter of prudence and judgment, 
under law, and with rewards and punifhments : 
for in truth all that order which we fo much, 
and not without reafon admire, is impelled by 
nature, and is only defigned for the propa- 
gation of their fpecies. But we muft not for 
this reafon deny, that the Bees in performing 
their work, difcover and exert the appearances 
of wifdom and the moft prudent counfel; 
for the facred writings teach us, that God 
has deprived thofe creatures of reafon, to 
whom he has not thought proper to commit 
the care of nourifhing their young. This 
office is not granted to the Bees only, but is 
given to the Hornets, Wafps, to humble 
Bees, and to Ants; which, as well as all other 
infects, would doubtlefs have perifhed as foon 
as they had laid their eggs, unlefs they had 
the care of educating their ftock committed 
to them: for which reafon it is neceflary they 
fhould live fomewhat longer. ! 
Behold! God fhews himfelf fo ftupendous 
in thefe {mall creatures, that I fhould almoft 
prefume to affirm that the ineffable miracles 
of God are fealed up as it were in the hiftory 
of thefe infects. But thefe feals are at length 
opened, when we diligently perufe and often 
read over the book of nature, and natural 
theology, wherein the invifible things of God 
are explained to the eyes; then treafures of 
miracles which no tongue can worthily de- 
{cribe prefent themfelves, and the unfeen 
Creator becomes fo manifeft in thefe his 
f{malleft creatures, that the experiments I have 
made on them are to me the ftrongeft and 
moft irrefragable arguments, by which I con- 
ftantly maintain his eternal Godhead and pro- 
vidence againft all oppofition. Atheifts allow 
only a fictitious putrefaction, and a metamor- 
phofis, invefted in their own brain, and the 
fortuitous conflux of atoms; by the help of 
which they affert, indeed with very weak and 
forry arguments, that thefe creatures are pro- 
duced; whereas, on the contrary, the limbs 
and parts of thefe minute creatures are con- 
ftructed with greater art than thofe of the 
largeft animals. The Loufe or Mite itfelf 
proves a deity, and the majefty of God is as 
ftupendous and worthy of admiration in the 
minutenefs and {mallnefs' of that creature, as 
in the unwieldy ftrong Leviathan : thofe who 
view him in thefe his works cannot but reve- 
rence and adore him. God himfelf {peaks to 
man in this glorious manner in the magniti- 
cence of his works. And in what other thing 
can he be known but in his creatures only ? 
Having named the Loufe, I fhall here add that 
the little part of that creature which is fo ele- 
gantly moved up and down in the body, is 
only the ftomach and the inteftines annexed 
thereto, which produce fuch an effect by the 
force of their periftaltic motion. ; 
The eggs which are laid by the female 
Bee in every little cell of the comb, are ob- 
long, fomewhat bent, and thicker on one - 
than 
