CHAP. XIIII.
¶ The sundry sorts of hony, according to diuers regions.
HOnie (as we said before) is better or worse, according to the region where it is gathered, and that in many respects. For in some place ye shall haue goodly combs: howbeit, more commendable for wax than the hony in them: as in the Pelignians country, and Sicily. In others, and namely in Candie, Cypres, and Africk, the combs yeeld more hony than wax. Some countries there be, especially in the North parts, where the combs passe for bignesse: insomuch [unspec I] as in Germany there hath bin a hony-combe seene eight foot long, and blacke all within. But in what region soeuer it be that hony is found, three kinds there be of it. First, the Spring hony made of floures only; like as the comb also: and thereupon the Greeks call it Anthinon, which is as much to say as the Floure-hony. Some would not haue this to be once touched, but to serue for nourishment of the young bees, that the swarmes or casts may be more strong and lu∣stie. Others againe leaue for the bees of none lesse than of it: by reason of the great plenty like to follow, at the rising of those notable stars in the Summer ensuing. Moreouer, the combs are in their principall beauty about the Sun-stead in summer, when daies be longest, at what time as the Vine and Time do begin to floure. Also in taking forth of the hony combs, needfull it is to be well aduised in ordering the matter for the prouision of food for bees. If they be cut short [unspec K] and destitute of their meat, they either despaire and die for want, or els depart and flie away. Contrariwise, if you leaue them too much, plenty breeds idlenesse, that they will not labour: neither deigne they to feed of Erithace, their ordinarie food, but fall to the good hony. They therefore that be well experienced in these matters, thinke it good to leaue them the twelfth part of this store and vintage, if I may so say, which is gathered in the combs. And verily, it seemeth that Nature hath ordained a certaine set day for to begin this vintage, if men would take knowledge thereof, and marke it well; namely, the 30 day, after the bees swarmed and went forth: and vsually it falleth out, that this gathering commeth within the moneth of May. A se∣cond kind of hony there is, which we call Summer hony, and is named also Horaeum, of that principall season wherin it is made, namely, in the very midst of dog-daies, when the star Sirius [unspec L] is in his full strength: and that commonly is 30 daies after the Sun-stead. And I assure you, Nature hath shewed her admirable and excellent power to men ward in this behalfe: in case their fraud and deceit would suffer her works in their entire and proper nature without corrup∣tion and sophistication, which marreth all, and maketh nothing but confusion. For vpon the ri∣sing and apparition of any star, and especially of those that be more excellent than the rest, or after that a rainbow is seen aboue the earth, and no showers of rain presently follow, but a driz∣ling-dew warmed with the raies and beams of the Sun: ye shall haue that which falleth, not to be bare hony, but a very medicinable thing, euen a celestiall gift, singular good for eies and vl∣cers, yea, and comfortable to the principall noble parts within the body. And if this happen to be at the rising of the dog-star, and it chance withall, that vpon the same day (as oftentimes it falleth out) Venus, Iupiter, or Mercury bee Orientall, then shall yee haue so heauenly a sweet li∣quor, [unspec M] that no one thing in the World may bee comparable to it for the curing of all our ma∣ladies, and euen to reduce and recouer vs backe from death vnto life, like vnto that coelestiall