The reformed Common-wealth of bees. Presented in severall letters and observations to Sammuel Hartlib Esq. With The reformed Virginian silk-worm. Containing many excellent and choice secrets, experiments, and discoveries for attaining of national and private profits and riches.

Title

The reformed Common-wealth of bees. Presented in severall letters and observations to Sammuel Hartlib Esq. With The reformed Virginian silk-worm. Containing many excellent and choice secrets, experiments, and discoveries for attaining of national and private profits and riches.

Author

Hartlib, Samuel, d. 1662.

Publication

London, :: Printed for Giles Calvert at the Black-Spread-Eagle at the West-end of Pauls,

1655.

Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms

Bees -- Early works to 1800.

Silkworms -- Early works to 1800.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A45759.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"The reformed Common-wealth of bees. Presented in severall letters and observations to Sammuel Hartlib Esq. With The reformed Virginian silk-worm. Containing many excellent and choice secrets, experiments, and discoveries for attaining of national and private profits and riches." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A45759.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 8, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• The summary of the Sections in the following Epistolary Treatise of Bees.
• Some of the grosser Errata.
• Some VVriters of Bees extant in English.
  • THe Feminine Monarchy, or the History of Bees.
  • A Book promised by Henry Gurnay, Gentleman.
  • The Ordering of Bees.
  • A Treatise concerning the right use and ordering of Bees.
  • A Discourse or History of Bees.
• The Reformed COMMON-VVEALTH of BEES, Presented in severall Letters to Samuel Hartlib Esquire.
  • The Testimony of an Ancient Writer of Husbandry, of an incredible Revenue, which hath been raised from keeping of Bees.
    • Varro de Re Rustica, Lib. 3. c. 16.
    • In English thus.
  • An Extract of a Letter containing new Observations upon the fore-alledged Testimony.
  • An Experiment of the Generation of Bees, practised by that great Husbandman of Cornwell, Old Mr. Carew of Anthony.
  • Dr. Arnold Boate's Observations upon the Experiment of the Ge∣neration of Bees.
  • The New Bee-Hive: Or a Discourse for the right making of Bee-Hives, shewing their materials, proportion, ordering, and placing; and lastly their use and benefit. Left for a Farewell to his Native Country, by that zealous publick-hearted and learned Gentleman Thomas Brown Dr. in Divinity, and of the Civill Law.
  • A Querie upon the description of Dr. Brown's new invented Bee-Hive.
  • A Letter discovering a new kind of excellent food for Bees.
  • An Extract of a Letter concerning this New kind of food for Bees.
  • Another Extract of a Letter upon the same Subject.
  • How Anise may be got to grow in England, is taught in that ex∣cellent Book, called, The Garden of Eden, as followeth.
  • A Translate of a Letter written in High-Dutch, communica∣ting a Secret for the better ordering and preserving of Bees, practised beyond the Seas.
  • Another Authors description of the said Secret.
  • A Phylosophicall Letter, treating of many other Secrets and Experiments for generall Riches and Profits, be sides those ari∣sing from Bees.
  • An Enlargement of the sore-going Philosophicall Letter, explain∣ing more fully divers of those desirable Passages for general Riches and Prosits: With the Reasons why no more is disco∣vered at this time.
  • A very cheap way to keep a Stock of Bees all Winterlong.
  • Another notable and approved Experiment for improving of Bees.
  • A Coppy of a Letter, written by Mr. William Mewe Mini∣ster at Easlington in Glocester-shire, to Mr. Nathaniel Angelo Fellow of Eaton Colledge.
  • A Coppy Mr. Hartlib's Letter to that worthy Minister, at Easlington, Mr. Will. Mewe.
  • An Extract of Mr. Mewe's Answer to Mr. Hartlib's Letter.
  • A Letter, concerning that pleasant and profitable Invention of a Transparent Bee-hive, written by that much accomplish'd, and very ingenious Gentleman, Fellow of All-Soules Colledge in Ox∣ford, Mr. Christ. Wren, with the Figure and Description of the said Transparent Bee-hive.
  • item
  • Considerations upon the Letter from Oxford.
  • Some remarkable Observations, concerning the swarming of Bees; together with a short Description of a Bee-hive made of Glasse.
    • The manner whereof is this following.
  • A singular Observation concerning Bee-Hives and Buck-Wheat, in reference to Bees, made by Mr. Thomas Babington in his Travels into Germany.
  • How to make good Greek, or other Wines out of Honey.
  • A Receipt to make a pure Mead that shall tast like Wine.
  • Another way to make a most pleasant and Wine-like Mead.
• The Common-wealth of Bees. Represented by Mr. Gerard Malynes, by way of a digression in his great Book called Lex Mercatoria, or the Antient Law-Merchant.
  • Preservation of Bees for the Climate of Great Brittain, &c.
  • Necessarie observations concerning the Premisses.
  • Helps for weak Bees at all times.
• title page
• TO THE Reader.
• Instructions for the increase and Planting of Mulberry-trees.
  • What ground is fit for the Mulberry-seeds, how the same is to be ordered, and in what sort the seeds are to be sowed therein.
  • When the Plants that are sprung up of the Seeds, are to be removed, and how they are to be planted the first time.
  • When, and how the Plants are to be removed the second time, and in what manner they are to be planted where they shall remain.
  • When and how the Eggs of the Silk-wormes are to be hatched, and how to order the Wormes that shall come of them.
  • When and how to make fit rooms for the worms to work their bot∣toms of silk in, and in what sort the said bottoms are to be used.
  • An Extract of a Letter from Germany, concerning Silk-worms, written to S.H, Esquire.
  • A Letter written by Mr. Ra. Austen, from Oxford, Febr. 18. 1654. Imparting his Experiments about Silk-worms and how to wind off the Silk from the Bottoms, when the Worms have done spinning?
  • A Rare and new-discovered speedy way, and easie meanes of keeping of Silk-worms, being thus made knowne to the Colony in VIRGINIA.
    • POSTSCRIPT.
  • The fashion of the Botome.
  • A Loving Advertisement to all the Ingenious Gentlemen-Plan∣ters in Virginia now upon the Designe of Silk. By V. F.
  • Hearken well to these Informations, which the Lady earnestly de∣sires may thus be with all speed made known to you all.
  • An Other Advertisement.
  • The Copy of Esquire Diggs his Letter, to his much honoured freind, Iohn Ferrar, Esquire at his house at little Gidding, in Huntingtonshire. From Virginia, June 21. 1654.
  • A Way Experimented by Mr. Farrar, to make the Gummy-hard Naturall Virginia Bottoms (which hetherto by no art could be be prepared to unwind by reason of the Gummy hardness) to un∣winde with ease, to the great advantage of the Planters of the Silk-trade in Virginia.
  • An Extract out of a very Ingenious Gentlemans Letter from Dublin, Concerning the Reformed Virginian Silk-worm.
  • An Animadversion upon the Letter from Dublin.
  • A new observation, concerning the feeding of Silk-worms with Lettice, imparted from Dublin.
  • More Observations concerning the feeding of Silk-worms with Lettice,
  • Upon the most Noble, Virginian natural Silk-Worm her wonderful, various, plentiful food; The infinite, speedy, great wealth she will produce to her prote∣ctor; (in 45. days the time of her feeding) with small labour, cost, or skill, (learnt in an houres space by any child.) The singular aptness of that rare Su∣perlative Climate, in Breeding them on so many se∣veral kinds of Trees in her Woods where they live Feed and Spin, their mighty large, strange, double-bottoms of Silk: To the admiration of this our Old World; but to the exaltation and glory of incompa∣rable Virginia, in the New.
  • To the most Noble deserving Esquire Diggs: upon the Arrivall of his two Armenians out of Turky into Virginia.
  • A Comparison between the gain and labour of TOBACCO and SILK.
  • Thus learned Bartas upon this noble & admirable Creature.
  • Homo Vermis.