A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/Second Treatise/Chapter 1
The firſt Chapter.
Nd firſt conſider and marke, that howe the weather is a daye before the day preſente, and the daye after the Sunnes entraunce into the ſigne Aries, and ſuche like ſhall the weather be (for the moſte parte) in theſe three moneths, as in September, October, and Nouember.
And looke howe the weather ſhal be at the Sunnes entrance into the ſigne of Leo, as at the day of the entrance the daye before, and the daye after, and ſuch commonlye ſhall be in the moneths of December, Ianuarie, and Februarie, for if the winde ſhall then blowe oute of the North, or Eaſte, and thoſe daies drie, then ſhall followe a verye colde ſeaſon in thoſe three moneths: but if the winde blowe out of the South or Weaſt, and that it raineth in thoſe three dayes, then yſe to followe in thoſe three moneths. And if the weather in theſe three daies ſhal be neither wholy drie, nor wholy moiſte, then ſhall folowe an vnſtedfaſte Winter.
And like as the weather ſhall be at the Sunnes entraunce into the ſigne Libra, as at the daye of the entraunce, the daye before, and the daye after, ſuche for the more parte ſhall be the Spring, as in the moneth of Marche, Aprill, and May.
And looke howe the weather ſhal be at the Sunnes entrance into the ſigne Aquarius, at the daye of the entraunce, the daye before, and the daye after, (ſuche for the more parte) ſhall the weather be in the moneths of Iune, Iuly, and Auguſt.
And manye auntient men affyrme, that like as the weather ſhall be whiles the Sunne is running by the ſigne Libra, and vnto the 20. {{bl|degree of Scorpio, which time is frō the daye named (the Exaltation of the croſſe) vnto the day of al Saints, ſuch for the more parte ſhall the yeare following be, as in diuiding that foreſaide time into twelue moneths, and that foure daies doe aunſwere to eche moneth, of the whiche foure dayes, that eache one of the foure, doeth declare the condition of the quarter following, and beginning alſo to recken November as the firſt moneth of the yeare.}}
And the generall ſignes of the dearth and plentie after ye minds of the auncient huſband men be theſe, as the ouermuch coldeneſſe drying, the ouermuch moyſture ſoftning, the ouermuche heate greatly burning, and the ouermuch drineſſe putrifying and working into duſt.
For when any of theſe qualities shall exceede in the proper time, but eſpecially in that time, which to the corne and fruites do not agree, then ſhall dearth and ſcarcitie both of fruites and corne enſue.
As for example, when the moneth of March ſhal be ouer moyſt and wet, which rather ought to be drie, and that the moneth of April ſhal be drie, which then ought to be moyſt, doth after pronounce the penurie of the fruites of the earth.
And if that part alſo of ſommer ſhal be weat, in which the corne doth then fall vnto ripeneſſe, that rather ought to be drie, doth after ſignifie the ſcarcitie both of corne and other fruites of the earth.
And the like may be ſaide of the other conſtitutions, which when the Elementall qualities ſhal be in ſuch a condition as do beſt agree, then doe they promiſe both fruitfulneſſe and plentifulneſſe.
And if in the Spring be ſignes of colde and drought, and that in the ende of the ſpring neare the full moone be froſtes, then ſhall follow very ſmall yeelde of the fruites of the earth, and little wine that yere following.
And if the ſpring be drie, then fewe ſhall the fruites of the trees be, yet good, and the ſcarcitie of corne ſhal be that yeare.
And if the Spring ſhall be colde, the fruites of the Earthe ſhall be late ripe.
{{bl|And if the Spring and Sommer ſhall be ouer wette, or miſtie, or colde, with cloudie weather for manye daies together, whiles all the trees haue borne their bloſſoms, and the fieldes their floures, and beginne to ſhedde their floure, then ſhall follow the ſcarcitie of fruites of the earth in that yeare, or elſe a verie greate rot of them, and many ſickneſſes in that yeare.}}
And if the ſommer be drier than cuſtomably, then ſhal follow the ſcarcitie of corne, yet the Sommer fruites ſhall that yeare be ſound, the fiſhes then die, and moſt ſharpe ſickneſſes ſhall raine that yeare.
And if the Sommer ſhal be hotter than cuſtomably, then ſhal followe many ſickneſſes or diſeaſes, yet great plentie of the Sommer fruites that yeare.
And if the Sommer ſhal be colder than cuſtomably, then ſhall follow a healthfull yere, but the fruites of the earth ſhal late ripe that yeare.
And here further note of the ſpring, that if in the ſame ſeaſon of the ſpring, there ſhal be a more plentie of all floures and fruits toward than cuſtomably, doth after ſignifie a ſcarcitie of corne that yere, vnleſſe the heate of ſommer doth otherwiſe reforme the ſame.
And the wiſe and auncient huſbandmen haue obſerued, that when the winter ſhal ſend downe ſtore of raine on the earth, ſo that the ſame exceede not or bee too much, and that the March following be drie, and the Aprill wette by often ſhoures, and that the ſame part alſo of Sommer bee drie in which the corne falleth to ripeneſſe, then doth the ſame promiſe a plentifull yeare.
And when that part of the Harueſt ſhal be faire and drie, in which the wheat is ſowen, and the parte of ſommer in which corne falleth too ripeneſſe ſhal be faire and drie, the ſpring alſo meanely warme, doth then not only promiſe fruitefulneſſe, but a plentifull yeare of corne.
And nowe the Harueſt moyſter than cuſtomably doth putrifie the Grapes, and cauſeth a ſmall yeelde of wines that yeare, with the ſcarcitie of other fruites.
And if in the latter part of Harueſt it be moyſter, then in the yere following ſhal enſue the ſcarcitie of corne.
{{bl|And if the Harueſt bee drier in the firſt part, then in the yeare following ſhal Rie, and that ſmal graine named Mill, and ſuch lyke, be deare.}}
And if the harueſt be hoter than cuſtomably, then ſhall followe a diſeaſed yeare and that dangerus.
And if the Harueſt be colder than cuſtomably, then ſhall follow the loſſe of the Harueſt fruites both in the ſtore and taſt of them.
And the Winter colde and drie, is of all huſbandmen commended, but extreeme colde, doeth then flea the trees, eſpecially thoſe which ioy in a warme aire, as the Pomegranade tree, the Oliue tree, the Lemmon tree, the Figge tree, the Peach tree, and ſuch like.
And if the Winter exceede in the extremitie of coldneſſe, then doth it ſignifie harme both vnto the Uine and the Oliue tree, the Cherie tree, and the yellow Quince tree.
And if the Winter be hote and moyſt, then the ſame doth pronounce an vnhealthfull yeare, and daunger to ſeedes and fruites of the earth.
And the exceſſe qualitie, and diſtemperature of any of the foure quarters, is euill and daungerous to the fruites of the earth.
And the plentie of ſnowe falling in the due ſeaſon of the yeare, doth batten the earth, (and if the others do helpe) then doth it ſignifie the plentie of corne and other fruites of the earth.
And if any waſheth the handes with ſnowe, it doth then make them ſtedie, in that the ſnowe is ingendered of a vapour ſomewhat drie and earthly.
And the ſnowe nouriſheth ſheepe & other beaſts in that the ſnow is ingendered of the moyſt aire, in which life conſiſteth.
And the ſnowe increaſeth the corne and other growing things on earth, in that by his coldneſſe it ſo doth ſhut the poures of the earth, that the heate with the whiche the ſeedes of the earth be cheriſhed, cannot then breath forth.
{{bl|And the ſnow heateth and cheriſheth the earth, by the thicke couering of it, and defendeth the greene wheat and other ſeedes ſowen, from the ſharpe and vehement colde then of the ayre.}}
And the ſnowe may be kept all the yeare under the earth, couered with ſtrawe, and profitable it is to mixe with the wine in hote ſommer, and neceſſarie alſo to coole the ayre about ſick perſons.
And the vnprofitable falling of the deawe, miſtes, or fogges (eſpecially when all creſcent thinges doe bud foorth, and ſhewe theyr floure) as in the Moneth of Aprill and May, as well on the trees, corne and graſſe, which beaſtes then feding on be greatly harmed, through the deaw fallen, and all other thinges alſo much harmed by the ſame, as hath bene often obſerued by the ancient and wiſe huſbandmen.
And the ouermuch falling of raine, froſtes or haile, eſpecially in the ſpring time, and in the winter time, whilſt the corne is yet as graſſe, the exceſſe of raine alſo doth then threaten the ſcarcitie of vittailes to enſue that yeare.
And the great plentie of beanes, after the opinion of the common huſbandmen, through the much raine fallen, doth fore ſhewe the ſcarcitie of corne, and eſpecially of wheate that yeare.
And a like iudgement may be giuen of the Oke and Holly tree, which if they beare plentifully, then a fruitfull yeare followeth, and contrariwiſe bearing but few, then a deare yeare of corne to enſue.
And the great plentie of Graſhoppers, wormes and Catterpillers appearing in their proper time more than cuſtomably, doe not only declare harme to vines and ſeedes ſowen, but to all fruites that yeare.
And the great ſtore of windes, not only cauſe little fruites, but ſcarcitie of corne to enſue that yeare.
And a ſtilneſſe in a manner throughout the yeare, doth declare a likelyhode of the plague to enſue ſhortly after.
And the auncient Hipocrates {{bl|writeth, that when in the Sommer the North winde long continueth, and in the Harueſt, the South winde with ſtore then of raine, it doeth after threatenin the Winter the headache, hoarſeneſſe of voice, the coughe, conſumptions or impoſtumes to enſue.}}
And if after a drie Sommer (as write the auntient Phiſitions) the North winde doeth long continue in the Harueſte, then the bodies of women, and ſuche diſeaſed with a moiſte ſickneſſe, doe then in that ſeaſon the rather recouer health, in that the drineſſe of the ſeaſons and windes is contrarie to the exceſſe, and to the rottenneſſe of the humors, by whiche the ſickneſſes were caused.
And if the Winter ſhall be hote and moiſte, and the Spring colde and drie, then doth the ſame threaten ſickneſſe to men in the Sommer, and that women with childe ſhall haue vntimely birthes of a light occaſion.
And Hypocrates writeth, that when in the Winter be longer Northerly windes, and in the Spring longer Southerlye windes, and that raynie and wette in the Sommer following, then doeth followe Agues, and the Diſeaſes of the eies.
And when after a colde Winter, and that South windes and raynie in the Spring, and that the Sommer be drie then in the Harueſt following doe agues enſue, paines alſo of the bowels thoroughe the greate ſcouring of the bodie, and Sickneſſes, with the whiche olde men, diſeaſed perſons, and childrē be then more pained.
And when the Southwest winde doth long blowe aboute the end of Harueſt, thē thoſe perſons diſeaſed with a long ſickneſſe, do ſhortly after die.
And a further knowlege of dearth and plentie of victualles, and of ſickeneſſe may be had on this wiſe.
Firſte in the end of Harueſt, cutte open two or three Oke apples, looking whether there be in thē either Flyes, Worms, or Spiders.
For if in the Oke apple be founde Wormes, or Magots, then they ſignifie (after the opinion of auncient huſbandmen) to the dearth and ſcarcitie in that yeare.
And if the Oke apple cut open be founde like to flies, it doth after threaten battel to enſue in that yeare.
And if in the Oke apple be founde like to Spiders, then doe they foreſhewe the plague or peſtilence to enſue in that yeare.}}
And to conclude, the onely proofe of the former taught, ſhal moue the Reader better to credite theſe.