[grafs :

Nor frisking heifers bound about the place,
To spurn the dew-drops off, and bruise the rifing
Nor must the lizard's painted brood appear,
Nor wood-pecks, nor the fwallow harbour near.
They waste the swarms, and as they fly along

Convey the tender morfels to their young. [mofs;

Let purling ftreams, and fountains edg'd with And shallow rills run trickling through the grafs; Let branching olives o'er the fountain grow, Or palms fhoot up, and shade the streams below;

That when the youth, led by their princes, fhun The crowded hive, and fport it in the fun, Refreshing fprings may tempt 'em from the heat, And fhady coverts yield a cool retreat.

Whether the neighb'ring water ftands or runs, Lay twigs acrofs, and bridge it o'er with stones; That if rough ftorms, or fudden blasts of wind Should dip, or fcatter thofe that lag behind, Here they may fettle on the friendly stone, And dry their reeking pinions at the fun. Plant all the flow'ry banks with lavender, With store of fav'ry fcent the fragrant air,

1

Let running betony the field o'erfpread,
And fountains foke the violet's dewy bed.
Tho' barks or plaited willows make your hives
A narrow inlet to their cells contrive;

For colds congeal and freeze the liquors up,

And, melted down with heat, the waxen buidings [drop,

The bees, of both extremes alike afraid,
Their wax around the whistling crannies spread,
And fuck out clammy dews from herbs and flow'rs,
To fmear the chinks, and plafter up the pores:
For this they hoard up glew, whose clinging drops,
Like pitch, or birdlime, hang in stringy ropes.
They oft, 'tis faid, in dark retirements dwell,
And work in fubterranous caves their cell;
At other times th' induftrious infects live
In hollow rocks, or make a tree their hive,

Point all their chinky lodgings round with mud, And leaves muft thinly on your work be strow'd; But let no baleful yew-tree flourish near,

Nor rotten marshes send out fteams of mire;

Norburning crabs grow red,and crackle in the fire.

Nor neighb❜ring caves return the dying found,
Nor echoing rocks the doubled voice rebound.
Things thus prepar'd-

When th' under-world is feiz'd with cold and

night,

And fummer here defcends in ftreams of light,
The bees thro' woods and forefts take their flight.
They rifle ev'ry flow'r, and lightly fkim

The cryftal brook, and fip the running stream;
And thus they feed their young with strange delight,
And knead the yielding wax, and work the flimy
fweet,

But when on high you fee the bees repair,

Borne on the wind, thro' distant tracts of air,

And view the winged cloud all blackning from

While fhady coverts, and fresh steams they chufe,"
Milfoil and common honey fuckles bruife,
And fprinkle on their hives the fragrant juice.
On brazen veffels beat a tinkling found,

And shake the cymbals of the goddess round;

C 4

Then

Then all will haftily retreat, and fill

The warm refounding hollow of their cell.

If once two rival kings their right debate,
And factions and cabals embroil the state,

The people's actions will their thoughts declare;
All their hearts tremble, and beat thick with war;
Hoarse broken founds, like trumpets' harsh alarms,
Run thro' the hive, and call 'em to their arms;
All in a hurry spread their fhiv'ring wings,
And fit their claws, and point their angry ftings:
In crowds before the king's pavilion meet,
And boldly challenge out the foe to fight;

At last, when all the heav'ns are warm and fair,
They rush together out, and join; the air
Swarms thick, and echoes with the humming war.
All in a firm round cluster mix, and strow
With heaps of little corps the earth below;
As thick as hail ftones from the floor rebound,
Or fhaken acorns rattle on the ground,
No fenfe of danger can their king's control,

Their little bodies lodge a mighty foul:

Each

Each obftinate in arms pursues his blow,

'Till fhameful flight fecures the routed foe,
This hot difpute and all this mighty fray
A little duft flung upward will allay.

But when both kings are fettled in their hive, Mark him who looks the worst, and left he live Idle at home in eafe and luxury,

The lazy monarch must be doom'd to die;
So let the royal infect rule alone,

And reign without a rival in his throne.

The kings are diff'rent; one of better note, All fpeckt with gold, and many a fhining spot, Looks gay, and gliftens in a gilded coat;

But love of ease, and floth in one prevails,

}

That scarce his hanging paunch behind him trails:
The people's looks are diff'rent as their kings;
Some sparkle bright, and glitter in their wings;
Others look loathfom and difeas'd with floth,
Like a faint traveller whofe dufty mouth.
Grows dry with heat, and spits a maukish froth.
The firft are beft-

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