A theatre of politicall flying-insects wherein especially the nature, the vvorth, the vvork, the wonder, and the manner of right-ordering of the bee, is discovered and described : together with discourses, historical, and observations physical concerning them : and in a second part are annexed meditations, and observations theological and moral, in three centuries upon that subject / by Samuel Purchas ...

CHAP. VI. Bees Politicks, Ethicks, and Economicks.

ONe drop of water hath no power, one spark of fire is not strong, but the gathering together of waters called Seas, and the communion of many flames do make both raging and invincible elements. And una Apis, nulla Apis, one Bee is no Bee, but a multitude, a swarm of Bees uniting their forces to∣gether, is very profitable, very comfortable, very terrible, pro∣fitable to their owners, comfortable to themselves, terrible to their enemies.

Bees are political creatures, and destinate all their actions to one common end; they have one common habitation, one com∣mon work, all work for all, and one common care and love to∣wards all their young, and that under one Commander, who is not an elected Governour; for the vulgar often want judge∣ment, raising the worst and wickedest to the Throne; nor hath hee his power by lot, for the chances of lots are absurd, and ri∣diculous, conferring command often upon the meanest: Nor is hee by hereditary succession placed in the Throne; for often through pleasures and flatteries are they rude and ignorant

of true vertue, but by nature hath hee the Sovereignty over all, excelling all in goodliness, and goodness, in mildness, and majesty.

They have all the same common laws, and with common care, observe them all, and have one common bond, not to have any thing lawful for one, which is not lawful for another, but whatsoever is lawful, is lawful for all. And they have one common respect, and reverence to their Commander by whose counsel their Commonwealth is governed; a common house, a common care of posterity, common labour, common food, common generation, a common use and fruition of all things.

A Bee, like a man cannot live alone, if shee be alone, shee dies: As in the Fable of Menenius Agrippa, the whole body soon perished, when the rest of the members to ease themselves wronged the belly; so the whole Commonwealth of Bees will quickly bee dissolved if they labour, each Bee for her self, and neglect the publick. Nay the Drones, though they bee idle, yet are usefull instruments for the good, and preservation of the Commonwealth.

The Polity of Bees is admirable and imitable: Plato and Cicero after a divers manner prescribed the form of a Common∣wealth, one how it ought to bee, the other how it was of old, but both lay down this as a maxime, that a civil life should imitate nature which is the best instructer. But what is Na∣tures lesson, the irrational creatures best express, and chiefly Bees, and therefore Plutarch sends his Trojane to Virgil, that hee might borrow a civil life from the Bees. For a civil man by natures rule is alwayes chiefe of the City, as the Commander among the Bees.

And again, hee saith, Bees conserve community unto their last; for no man ever saw a Bee degenerate into a Drone, which some require of Civil Governours, that the vigour of their age being past, they should live idle at home. Great spirits de∣generate no••.

They express if not great reverence, yet I am sure great love to their Commander, without whom, they will bee, they will do nothing, and with whom they will bee any thing, go any whither, stay any where, bee content with any thing.

The Poet elegantly thus writes,

Besides not Egypt, nor rich Lydia ••••re, Nor Medes, nor Parthian•• do their King adore; Whilst bee's alive in concord all obey, But when bee dyes, all leagues are broke, and they Themselves destroy their gathered food at home, And re••d the fabrick of their Honey-combe; 'Tis bee preserves their works, him all admire, And guard his person with a strong desire: They carry him, for him they bazzard death, And think in War they nobly lose their breath.

Xantippus therefore the Lacedemonian being General of the Carthaginian•• said, Hee had rather serve under the Comman∣der of the Bees, than lead an army of Ants. I say, under the Commander of the Bees, who useth not his sting, that is, ex∣erciseth tyranny against none, and orders nothing but that which is profitable for the Commonwealth; when as they that lead an army of Pismires, that is, men who neither will, nor know how to obey, never perform any thing notable, and praise∣worthy; so that aptly Him•••• describing the Greeks, hastening to the Oration of Agame••non the General of the whole Army; and as hee calls him the Pastor of the people, compares them to Bees swiftly flying with their labours to the Hive, where their Commander is constantly resident.

The Egyptians on this ground placed on the top of the Kings Scepter the bird Cu••••phus (which is a Stork) with a River-horse underneath it, implying that piety must suppress impiety, clemency ferity▪ And from hence the Tribunes of the Souldiers among the Romans carried their swords without edges, intimating that the Generals of Armies ought not to kill the Souldiers, but to correct them, as the Commander of the Bees doth her subjects; and perhaps on this ground, the Egyptians by the Hieroglyphick of a Bee signified a King, be∣cause it becomes a Commander of a people, to mingle with the sting of justice the honey of clemency.

Memorable to this purpose was the practise of a certain King of Fr••••ce, who having conquered the Ins••brians, and

entred their City, by a symbole or type thus exprest his cle∣mency wearing a coat full of Images or pictures of Bees, and this Motto written upon it, Rex mucrone caret, the King wants or useth not his sting.

Their Ethicks and Economicks appear in many particulars, They make frugality the basis of their subsistance, and there∣fore as they laboriously gather store of honey they shut up the Cells still as they fill them, and untill Winter come, will not open them, but live in the mean time of Bee-bread, and such provision, as they get abroad, lest if they should prodigally waste while they may work, they might after starve when they cannot work. And in the pleasures of this life they are so mo∣derate, that perfect temperance seems to rest onely in them.

They are neat and cleanly creatures, never suffering any filth or excrements long in the Hive, emptying themselves alwayes abroad. And if in the Winter while they are weak, and not able to indure the colder aire, filth bee contracted, yet as soon as the Spring comes, and they grow numerous, and strong, they diligently cleanse their Hives, and carry out all.

Their cleanliness also thus appears, That they will not suffer their dead to continue long in the Hive, but carry them forth to burial.

Their chastity is admirable, for whereas many other crea∣tures couple together openly; Waspes also and Humble bees, and many sorts of wilde Bees scarce specifically differing from them, yet whatsoever the Bees do in Venus service they act in secret, and far remote from the eyes and knowledge of all men.

The Poets say, That this is the reason of it▪ Saturn the husband of Ops, and father of Iupiter, was wont to devoure his own children when they were brought forth (the reason of it was, because Saturn was named the god of time, and all times passing and returning, revolve again into themselves) which gave occasion to this history; when Iupiter was born his mo∣ther Ops fearing the cruelty of her husband to him, concealed his birth, and the Cretans for fear that Saturn should hear the childe cry▪ ••ung their brazen pans and kettles, which noise the Bees following, came to the place where the Infant was,

and fed him there with honey. Iupiter for so great a benefit, be∣stowed on his Nurses for a reward, this admirable gift, that they should have young ones, and continue their kinde without wasting themselves in Venery.

Others report that Iupiter being much in love with a faire Nymph called Melissa turned her into a Bee, and for her sake bestowed this, and other priviledges on the Bees.

And they are not less valiant than chaste, though industry and diligence may do much with all other creatures, yet little with these, no not to palliate their fierceness, let them bee ex∣asperated near their Hives, you may as easily binde a Lion with a single hair, as by opposition and resistance, compose and quiet them, though the creature is but little, yet virtus no•• minima. Is it not strange to behold such a little Insect to con∣tend with the most mighty, to see such vigour in a creature without bones or scales, or hard defences, and yet to bee of∣fensive to, nay prevalent over the most strong, and powerfull creatures!

In valour therefore, and magnanimity they surp••ss all crea∣tures, there is nothing so huge and mighty that they fear to set upon, and when they have once begun, they are invincible; for nothing can make them yeeld but death; so great hearts do they carry in so little bodies.

In private wrongs and injuries done to their persons (for which cause men will soonest quarrel) they are very patient, but in de∣fence of their Princess and Commonwealth, they do most rea∣dily enter the field,

—For them they hozzard death, And think in War they nobly lose their breath.

Their War whatsoever some say to the contrary, is onely for∣reign, for though in the same Hive, by a violent or accidental congression of two swarmes, there bee sometimes a deadly con∣test, and bickering, yet still it is forreigne, for they were never united under one Commander.

They never fight (whatsoever some unexperienced Observers report) for food, nor fall out among themselves for meat, but alike communicate of all they have (though but little) and

when it is spent (if it bee no gathering season) starve alto∣gether.

Their Geometry appears in the fabrick of their combes; and their Astronomy in the knowledge of the weather, for they fore-know and presage windes and storms, and either keep themselves in their Hives, or go not far, perhaps fetch water, and quickly return.

When they flye not far from the Hive, but flye about it, the weather being serene and fair, it is an usual token of an ap∣proaching storm, or tempest, Aratus prompted him (if not ex∣perience) with this observation.

But above all, one excellent skill they have, which the most experienced females, though they much desire it, must yeeld themselves to want; for they know certainly when they breed a male, and when a female, which appears by this, that they lay their Cephen-seeds in a wide comb by themselves, and the Nymph-seeds in the rest, which are of a smaller size.

In their own Commonwealth they are most just, not the least wrong or injury is offered among them: but I cannot commend their justice towards strangers, for all that they can catch is their own, unless they may bee excused in this respect, that the Bees of divers Hives are at deadly feud, or ra∣ther as Kingdomes that are at difference one with ano∣ther.

If Bees, creatures without reason, have such Prudence, Providence, Fortitude, Chastity, Loyalty, Natural affection, such Government, Order, Discipline; How much rather ought men to express the same in their carriages and conversa∣tions. If they abhorre Intemperance, Luft, Sloath, Rebellion, Cowardise, shall men practise them? They are then worse than Brutes, and deserve rather to bear the names of savage Monsters, than of civil and reasonable men.

Notes

• Basil. Concio▪ in Go••dium Ma••tyr. & Hexame••▪ ho∣mil. 8.
• Ambros. Hex∣am. l. ••. c. 21.
• J. Stobeu•• lau•• nuptiar▪ p. 67.
• Plutarch. reip. gerend. precep.
• Plutarch. ••n seni si•• geren. resp.
• Pet. Matthew continuat. Gen h••st of France.
• Virgil. Georg. l. 4.
• Polytius.
• Homer l. 2. ••••••ad.
• Aldrovand. de insectis lib. 1. Caelii Calcag. Apol. p••o Al∣fonso duce Fe••tar. Cornucop. Pyr. Per••••ti. & Petr. Cri∣nitus de ho∣nest. disc plin.
• Baptist Man∣tuan in exhort ad In••ub.
• 〈1 line〉〈1 line〉
• Mr. May An∣notat on Virg. Georg.
• Mr. Buller Femin. Monar. cap. 1.
• Virg.
• Mous••e•• The••∣••um Insect.
• Theophrast. l. 1. de sig▪ tempestat.