The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-09-22

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scamper off in all d:Tet,tions
IN TACT, for half an hour the bees
seemed to have put an end to our Jour
hey. IN the even ng, when they be-
came less troublesome and we could
venture to collect our cattle, we found
many OF them much sting and swelled
about the. head. Three asses were miss
ingi one died in the evening, and anoth-
er next morning. Our guide lost his
morse, and many of the people were
much siung about the head and face
Inc fierceness nnd unrelenting cruelty
OF the ancient Assyrians, and the ter
fcr with which their swarmine multi
tudes filled the inhabitants of the lands
they invaded, have caused them to be
likened to bees in their much-dreaded
attacks on such as have aroused their
anger; "And shall come to pass in that
day that the Lord shall hiss for the fiv
that Is IN the uttermost part of the rivers
or Egypt, and for the bee that is in tho
land of Assyria. And they shall come,
and shall rest all of them in the desc.
late valleys, and in the holes of the
rocks, and upon all thorns. and upon
all bushes. The ''hiss'' was SIMPLY a
call, in allus'on to the note of the queen
bee, as she issues her royal mandate to
her ever loyal subjects to prepare for
action. 1t has also been supposed to
allllde to custom prevailing in very
ancient times in connection with the
bee culture, or honey-raising in the
neighborhood of rivers. During the
dry season, number of hives would be
placed on tat-bottomed boat, in the
charge of an attendant. Very early in
the morning the boat would begin the
days voyage, gently gliding down
the river, the bees sallying forth
with the sun to collect their . golden
stores and deposit them in their several
hives, which they commonly know by
some mark. The innnmerable flowers
on the banks of the rivers offered them
fine harvest-field. At the approach of
evening the well-known whistle or
hiss of the care-taker-a decent
Imitation of the queens own call
would bring them back to their hives in
multitudes, when the boat would be
padded back to the farm or other place
of rendezvous.
AS an article of food, and as much
valued and even royal luxury, honey has
been used from the remotest ages. Nor
was it much. if any. less in request as a
healing medicine for both inward and
outward application. And though it
may have fallen somewhat into disuse
IN these days, when many good things
are overlooked, and when the artific al
too often supplants the real, it may be
safely predicted that the wide and rapid
spread of bee-culture will induce a re-
turn to some of the wiser uses and
methods and forms of adaptation en-
ployed by our early forefathers, as we'll
as stimulate to new applications and
developments of its wondrous powers.
When and by whom mead or metheg-
lin was first made from honey, could
not be easily determined. The two
words are not unfrequently applied to
the same liquor; but that is not correct,
as they are dissimilar. Both, however,
are made from honey, sometimes also
from the refuse or washings of the
comb. Queen Elizabeth had such fond
ness for metheglin as to prescribe care
fully how it should be made and with
what variety of herbs it should be
favored. In Wales, it long continued
to be held in high esteem; and its vari-
Gus beneficial properties have
been quantity set forth in q letter adj
dressed to Clit1e, the historian, by the
learned Welshman, Rev. James Howells
(born 159D, brother of Thomas How
els, some time Bishop of Gloucester
and Bristol. The uniqueness of the
communication is the apology for its
quotation in full: sa a7s
SIR-To inaugurate new and jovial new
year unto you, 1 send you a mornings
draught namely, a bottle of metheglin).
Neither Sir John Barleycorn nor Bacchus
hath any thing to do with it; but 1t is the
pure juice of the bee, the laborious bee, and
king of insects. The Druids and the old
British bards were wont to take carouse
hereof before they entered into their specu-
lations: and If you do so when your fancy
labors with any thing, it will do you no hurt;
and know your fancy to be very good. But
this drink always carries kind OF state with
it, forit must be attended with brown toast;
nor will it admit of but one good tdraught,
and that in the morning, Ii more, 1T will
keep a humming in the head, and so speak
much Of the house itcame from, mean the
cause the bottle might make more haste,
have made it go upon these (poetic) feet:
j. H. T. c. Sal,aen, ct Annuns Platonicuna.
Which British bards were wont to quaff of
old;
The berries of the grape with furies swell,
But in the lioneycomb the graces dwell
This alu;ies to saying which the Turks
have, that there turks II devil in every berry
me an auspieious and joyful new year, be-
cause you know am, etc. lsr, ..
Metheglin is no doubt healthy bev-
,rage, containing an admixture of milk.
Pallus Romulus, when he was hum
lrcd years old, told Julius Cesar that he
lad preserved the yigor of his mind
md body by taking metheglin inwardly,
md using oil outwardly.. Metheglin
md mead may be made very strong,
md, of course, they both contain some
mount of alcohol. In Virgil's days
was used to qualify wine
when harsh. He writes OF
Iuge heavy honeycombs, of golden juice,
rot only sweet, but pure, and fit for use:
70 allay the strength and hardness of the
VINE, .-.-s.- /
md with old Bacchus new metheglin join.
Mead or methegln was the nectar of
he Scandinavian nations, which they ex-
,ected to drink in Heaven, using the
kulls of their enemies as goblets. Thus
We read in Penrose's CaroWsaS Of Odin:
Fill the honeyed beverage high;
Fill the skulls, tits Odin's cryl
Ianrd We not the powerful call, 3 /