What is the origin of the phrase 'As bees in honey drown'?

The phrase "as bees in honey drown" is the '''title of a play''' by Douglas Carter Beane. Beane is a playwright and screenwriter who originally is from Wyomissing, Pennsylvania. The play in question is considered one of his satires and comedies. The title is the common catchphrase of Beane's main character, Alexan Vere de Vere.