A rectangular decorative woodcut headpiece featuring symmetrical scrolling foliate designs, floral patterns, and fleur-de-lis motifs.

THE

Grumbling HIVE:

KNAVES turned Honest.

A spacious hive well stocked with bees,
That lived in luxury and ease;
And yet as famous for laws and arms,
As yielding large and early swarms;
Was counted the great nursery
Of sciences and industry.
No bees had better government,
More fickleness, or less contentment:
They were not slaves to tyranny,
Nor ruled by wild democracy;
But kings, who could not do wrong, because
Their power was circumscribed by laws.
These insects lived like men, and all
Our actions they performed, in small:
They did whatever is done in town,
And what belongs to sword or gown: The "sword" refers to the military, and the "gown" refers to professional classes such as lawyers, the clergy, or academics.
Though artful works, by nimble sleight
Of minute limbs, escaped human sight;
Yet they have no engines, laborers,
Ships, castles, arms, artificers, Artificers refers to skilled craftsmen or artisans.