(The Thornton MS. (before 1450); ed. Horstmann, vol. i, p. 193.)
_Moralia Ricardi Heremite de Natura Apis._
The bee has thre kyndis. Ane es þat scho es neuer ydill, and scho es
noghte with thaym þat will noghte wyrke, bot castys thaym owte, and
puttes thaym awaye. Anothire es þat when scho flyes scho takes erthe in
hyr fette, þat scho be noghte lyghtly ouerheghede in the ayere of wynde.
The {5} thyrde es þat scho kepes clene and bryghte hire wyngeȝ.
Thus ryghtwyse men þat lufes God are neuer in ydyllnes. For owthyre
þay ere in trauayle, prayand, or thynkande, or redande, or othere gude
doande; or withtakand ydill mene, and schewand thaym worthy to be put
fra þe ryste of heuene, {10} for þay will noghte trauayle here.
Þay take erthe, þat es, þay halde þamselfe vile and erthely, that thay
be noghte blawene with þe wynde of vanyté and of pryde. Thay kepe thaire
wynges clene, that es, þe twa commandementes of charyté þay fulfill
in gud concyens, and {15} thay hafe othyre vertus, vnblendyde with þe
fylthe of syne and vnclene luste.
Arestotill sais þat þe bees are feghtande agaynes hym þat will drawe
þaire hony fra thayme. Swa sulde we do agayne deuells, þat afforces
thame to reue fra vs þe hony of poure {20} lyfe and of grace. For many
are, þat neuer kane halde þe ordyre of lufe yne_n_ce þaire frendys,
sybbe or fremmede. Bot outhire þay lufe þaym ouer mekill, settand thaire
thoghte vnryghtwysely on thaym, or þay luf thayme ouer lyttill, yf þay
doo noghte all as þey wolde till þame. Swylke kane {25} noghte fyghte
for thaire hony, forthy þe deuelle turnes it to wormes, and makes þeire
saules oftesythes full bitter in angwys, and tene, and besynes of vayne
thoghtes, and oþer wrechidnes. For thay are so heuy in erthely frenchype
þat þay may noghte flee intill þe lufe of Iesu Criste, in þe wylke {30}
þay moghte wele forgaa þe lufe of all creaturs lyfande in erthe.
Wharefore, accordandly, Arystotill sais þat some fowheles are of gude
flyghyng, þat passes fra a lande to anothire. Some are of ill flyghynge,
for heuynes of body, and for<þi> {35} þaire neste es noghte ferre fra
þe erthe. Thus es it of thayme þat turnes þame to Godes seruys. Some
are of gude flyeghynge, for thay flye fra erthe to heuene, and rystes
thayme thare in thoghte, and are fedde in delite of Goddes lufe, and has
thoghte of na lufe of þe worlde. Some are þat {40} kan noghte flyghe fra
þis lande, bot in þe waye late theyre herte ryste, and delyttes þaym in
sere lufes of mene and womene, als þay come and gaa, nowe ane and nowe
anothire. And in Iesu Criste þay kan fynde na swettnes; or if þay any
tyme fele oghte, it es swa lyttill and swa schorte, for othire thoghtes
{45} þat are in thayme, þat it brynges thaym till na stabylnes.
<F>or þay are lyke till a fowle þat es callede strucyo or storke, þat
has wenges, and it may noghte flye for charge of body. Swa þay hafe
vndirstandynge, and fastes, and wakes, and semes haly to mens syghte;
bot thay may noghte flye to lufe {50} and contemplacyone of God, þay
are so chargede wyth othyre affeccyons and othire vanytés.
[Foot-note: 22 ynence] ynesche _MS._]
[Foot-note: 23 mekill] _MS. follows with_: or thay
lufe þame ouer lyttill, _caught up from below_.]