A profitable instruction of the perfect ordering of Bees/First Treatise/Chapter 24
What the honny is, and howe from the hiues the ſame maye be prepared to vſe. Cap. xxiiij.
AS we firſte gather the honny from the combes, ſo do we the waxe for the comforte of the light, and other commoditie beſides. Nowe what the honny is, and howe the ſame taken from hiues, maye be prepared to vſe, ſhall hereafter bee taughte.
Firſte the learned Iſidore writeth, the honny to be of the deawe of ſome lyquide matter, and affyrmeth alſo the ſame to be founde ſometimes in the leaues of the greate Canes. To whiche in a manner doth Publius Maro agree in this verſe, writing, that hitherto the heauenlye girtes are of the Aereall honny. Others teach the honny in India and Arabia, to be like to ſalte gathered there on the leaues of trees. Others do doubt whether the honny be a ſweat from heauen, or a certaine ſpittle of the ſtarres, or a iuyce of the aire purging it ſelfe. But whatſoeuer ſubſtance the ſame is, yet is it a moſte ſweete, ſubtill, and healthfull iuyce, as Plinie {{bl|witneſſeth, which at the firſt gathering of it, is as a cleare water, but after the boyling a while, and purging of it ſelfe, as the newe wine (after the preſſing forth) is wonte to do, doth by the twenty day after come to a perfect thickneſſe of honny, throughe the often repeating and working of it in the hote dayes, frō the beginning of May and vnto the middle of June.}}
Nowe the honny is gathered in this maner: firſt, before the honny be preſſed out of the combes, muſt thoſe corrupt combes hauing red filth, and hauing yong in them (if any ſuch be there) be preſſed oute, bicauſe they bothe procure an euill taſte, and with that iuyce corrupt the hony. The combs bruſed togither, ought to be put into a cleane preſſe, being yet warme, and new gathered out of the Hyues the ſame day, whiche lette lye there, vntil the hony by little and little be run forth, or rather for the more expedition, preſſed forthe with a heauy waighte, and the ſame which is then come forth, is very faire rawe hony. After that the honny with the waxe muſte be boyled togither, as hereafter ſhall be taught.
Nowe when the combes be thus bruſed togither, and the yong Bees killed and caſt forth, then muſt you make youre hony in this maner. As firſt in the Moneth of Septēber or October, take ye heauier and older hiues, which are of two or three yeares olde, and hauing bred ſwarmes in the Sommer before: and that ouer ſmoke and flame of ſtrawe, drie flaxe, or yellowe Brimſtone, the hiue a little whiles beholden, that the Bees may ſo flie vppe to the toppe of the hiue, or elſe ſuche remaining below burne their wings.
{{bl|After that, turne downe the head of the hiue on the ground, and with a ſharpe knife cutte the croſſed ſtickes aſunder in the Hiue, or plucke thē forth with your hand. For by that meanes are the combes wel bruſed togither, and the Bees either killed with the fall of them, or elſe flye away. After this putte all the combes on a heape, being gathered oute of the hiues here and there into a preſſe, leaning ſomewhat on the one ſide, but ſome put ye combs into a wine baſket made of ſmal wilow or Oſier ſtickes finely knitte and wroughte togither, that hanged vppe in a darke place, the Honny maye runne thoroughe by little and little from it. After that the honny hathe thus runne forthe into a cleane earthen panne or boll ſtanding vnder it, then the ſame after poure into an earthen potte, or pottes, being as yet rawe honny, but clearer and better than the other licour of the hony. Which for certaine daies let ſtand open, that the ſweete licor may throughly coole, and the ſame in the mean whiles often ſkimme or purge with a ſpoone. Nowe after this, the fine peeces or crummes of the combes, which yet remaine in the bagge of wicker, or wine baſket, or preſſe, putte into an earthen potte, panne, or kettle, ouer a verye ſofte fire, that the ſame may heate without boyling, and alwayes keepe youre hande in the veſſell, to ſtirre ſtill aboute hither and thither the honny and waxe, and to open alſo the waxe by peece meale vntill the honny and not the waxe, ſhall be throughlye molten. When the honny through the heate, beginneth a little to pricke the hande, then poure all the whole Maſſe or ſubſtaunce into a ſtrayner, and putting the ſame in a preſſe made for the onelye purpoſe, wring it harde about, yet it maketh no great matter, if that ſame be not ſo earneſtly wringed or preſſed out, that none of the Honny remaine yet with the Waxe, ſeeing that the Honny and Waxe haue effects in ſome cauſes alike. Now this honny, whyche oughte in like manner to be poured into earthen pots, and ſtande open for certaine dayes, ſkimming it dayly with a ſpoone, vntill it be throughe colde. The nobler or worthier Honny is that which runneth oute in a manner of the owne accorde, before the ſecond preſſing out of the combs. And mixe not of this ſeconde Honny with the firſte, but keepe them diligentlye aparte, leaſte by mixing the firſte to the ſeconde, you make the beſte (being the firſte) the worſer. After all this thus handled, the ſame whiche yet remaineth in the ſtrainer, waſh diligētly with Conduit or faire Spring water, that you may ſo haue the Mulſe or hony water, of which being ſodden and diligently ſkimmed (as of this hereafter ſhall be further taught is the Mulſe made, that ſerueth to manye good vſes.}}