fabre, poet of science-第39节

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instruction；　or　begging　him　to　resolve　some　difficult　problem　or　decide

some　especially　vexed　question；　and　his　explanations　are　so　simple；　so

clear；　so　logical　that　they　are　astonished　at　their　own　lack　of

comprehension　and　their　embarrassment。　（15/9。）



But　there　are　few　who　venture　within　the　walls　of　that　enclosure；　which

seems　to　shut　out　all　the　temptations　of　the　outer　world；　the　only　intimate

visitors　to　the　Harmas　are　the　village　schoolmasterfirst　Laurent；　then

Louis　Charrasse　（15/10。）；　and　later　Jullianand　a　blind　man；　Marius。



This　latter　lost　his　sight　at　the　age　of　twenty。　Then；　to　earn　a　living；　he

began　to　make　and　repair　chairs；　and　in　his　misfortune；　although　blind　and

extremely　poor；　he　kept　a　calm　and　contented　mind。



Fabre　had　discovered　the　sage　and　the　blind　man　on　his　arrival　at　Sérignan；

and　also　Favier　（15/11。）；　〃that　other　native；　whose　jovial　spirit　was　so

prompt　to　respond；　and　who　helped　to　dig　up　the　Harmas；　to　set　up　the

planks　and　tiles　of　the　little　kitchen…garden；　a　rude　task；　since　this

scrap　of　uncultivated　ground　was　then　but　a　terrible　desert　of　pebbles。〃　To

Favier　fell　the　care　of　the　flowers；　for　the　new　owner　was　a　great　lover　of

flowers。　Potted　plants；　sometimes　of　rare　species；　were　already；　as　to…day；

crowded　in　rows　upon　the　terrace　before　the　house；　where　all　the　summer

they　formed　a　sort　of　vestibule　in　the　open　air；　on　either　side　of　the

entrance；　and　these　Fabre　never　ceased　to　watch　over　with　constant　and

meticulous　care。　Both　spoke　the　same　language；　and　the　words　they　exchanged

were　born　of　a　like　philosophy；　for　Favier　also　loved　nature　in　his　own

way；　and　at　heart　was　an　artist；　and　when；　after　the　day's　work；　sitting

〃on　the　high　stone　of　the　kitchen　hearth；　where　round　logs　of　green　oak

were　blazing；〃　he　would　evoke；　in　his　picturesque　and　figurative　language；

the　memories　of　an　old　campaigner；　he　charmed　all　the　household　and　the

evening　seemed　to　pass　with　strange　rapidity。



When　this　precious　servant　and　boon　companion　had　disappeared；　after　two

years　of　digging；　sowing；　weeding；　and　hoeing；　all　was　ready；　the　frame　was

completed　and　the　work　could　be　commenced。　It　was　then　that　Marius　became

the　master's　appointed　collaborator；　and　it　is　he　who　now　constructs　his

apparatus；　his　experimental　cages；　stuffs　his　birds；　helps　to　ransack　the

soil；　and　shades　him　with　an　umbrella　while　he　watches　under　the　burning

sun。　Marius　cannot　see；　but　so　intimate　is　his　communion　with　his　master；

so　keen　his　enthusiasm　for　all　that　Fabre　does；　that　he　follows　in　his

mind's　eye；　and　as　though　he　could　actually　see　them；　all　the　doings　at

which　he　assists；　and　whose　inward　reflection　lights　up　his　wondering

countenance。



Marius　was　not　only　rich　in　feeling　and　the　gift　of　inner　vision；　he　had

also　a　marvellously　correct　ear。　He　was　a　member　of　the　〃Fanfare〃　of

Sérignan；　in　which　he　played　the　big　drum；　and　there　was　no　one　like　him

for　keeping　perfect　time　and　for　bringing　out　the　clash　of　the　cymbals。



Charrasse　was　no　less　fervent　a　disciple；　he　worshipped　science　and　all

beautiful　things；　and　he　could　even　conceive　a　noble　passion　for　his

exhausting　trade　of　school…teaching。



Like　Marius；　he　ate　〃a　bitter　bread〃；　and　Fabre　would　get　on　with　them　all

the　better　in　that　they；　like　himself；　had　lived　a　difficult　life。　〃Man　is

like　the　medlar；〃　he　liked　to　tell　them；　〃he　is　worth　nothing　until　he　has

ripened　a　long　time　in　the　attic；　on　the　straw。〃



〃L'homme　est　comme　la　nèfle；　il　n'est　rien　qui　vaille

S'il　n'a　m？ri　longtemps；　au　grenier；　sur　la　paille。〃



These　humble　companions　afforded　him　the　simple　conversation　which　he　likes

so　well；　so　natural；　and　so　full　of　sympathy　and　common　sense。　They

customarily　spent　Thursday　and　Sunday　afternoons　at　the　Harmas；　but　these

beloved　disciples　might　call　at　any　hour；　the　master　always　welcomed　them；

even　in　the　morning；　even　when　he　was　entirely　absorbed　in　his　work　and

could　not　bear　any　one　about　him。　They　were　his　circle；　his　academy；　he

would　read　them　the　last　chapter　written　in　the　morning；　he　shared　his

latest　discoveries　with　them；　he　did　not　fear　to　ask　advice　of　their

〃fertile　ignorance。〃　（15/12。）



Charrasse　was　a　〃Félibre；〃　versed　in　all　the　secrets　of　the　Proven？al

idiom；　of　which　he　knew　all　the　popular　terms；　the　typical　expressions　and

turns　of　speech；　and　Fabre　loved　to　consult　him；　to　read　some　charming

verses　which　he　had　just　discovered；　or　to　recite　some　delightful　rustic

poem　with　which　he　had　just　been　inspired；　for　in　such　occupations　he　found

one　of　his　favourite　relaxations；　giving　free　vent　to　his　fancy；　a　loose

rein　to　the　poet　that　dwells　within　him。　These　poems　the　piety　of　his

brother　has　preserved　in　the　collection　entitled　〃Oubreto。〃　It　is　at　such　a

moment　that　one　should　see　his　black　eyes；　full　of　fire；　his　power　of

mimicry　and　expression；　his　impassioned　features；　lit　up　by　inspiration；

truly　idealized；　almost　transfigured；　are　at　such　times　a　thing　to　be

remembered。



Sometimes；　again；　in　the　shadow　of　the　planes；　on　summer　afternoons；　when

the　cigales　were　falling　silent；　or　in　the　winter；　before　the　blazing

fireplace；　in　that　dining…room　on　the　ground　floor　in　which　he　welcomed　his

visitors；　when　out　of　doors　the　mistral　was　roaring　and　raging；　or　the　rain

clattering　on　the　panes；　the　little　circle　was　enlarged　by　certain　new…

comers；　his　nephews；　nieces；　a　few　intimates；　of　whom；　a　little　later；　I

myself　was　often　one。　At　such　times　his　humour　and　imagination　were　given

full　play；　and　it　was　truly　a　rare　pleasure　to　sit　there；　sipping　a　glass

of　mulled　wine；　during　those　delightful　and　earnest　hours；　to　taste　the

charm　of　his　smiling　philosophy；　his　picturesque　conversation；　full　of

exact　ideas；　all　the　more　profound　in　that　they　were　founded　on　experience

and　pointed　or　adorned　by　proverbs；　adages；　and　anecdotes。　Thanks　to　the

daily　reading　of　the　〃Temps；〃　which　one　of　his　friends　regularly　sends　him；

Fabre　is　in　touch　with　all　the　ideas　of　the　day；　and　expresses　his　judgment

of　them；　for　example；　he　does　not　conceal　his　scepticism　with　regard　to

certain　modern　inventions；　such　as　the　aeroplane；　whose　novelty　rather

disturbs　his　mind；　and　whose　practical　bearing　seems　to　him　to　be　on　the

whole　somewhat　limited。



Thus　even　the　most　recent　incidents　find　their　way　into　the　solitude　of　the

Harmas　and　help　to　sustain　the　conversation。



〃The　first　time　we　resume　our　Sérignan　evenings；〃　he　wrote　to　his　nephew　on

the　morrow　of　one　of　these　intimate　gatherings；　〃we　will　have　a　little　chat

about　your　Justinian；　whom　the　recent　drama　of　〃Théodora〃　has　just　made　the

fashion。　Do　you　know　the　history　of　that　terrible　hussy　and　her　stupid

husband？　Perhaps　not　entirely；　it　is　a　treat　I　am　keeping　for　you。〃

（15/13。）



The　only　subject　which　is　hardly　ever　mentioned　during　these　evenings　at

Sérignan　is　politics；　although　Fabre；　strange　as　it　may　seem；　was　one　year

appointed　to　sit　on　the　municipal　council。



The　son　of　peasants；　who　has　emerged　from　the　people　yet　has　always

remained　a　peasant；　has　too　keen　a　sense　of　injustice　not　to　be　a　democrat；

and　how　many　young　men　has　he　not　taught　to　emancipate　themselves　by

knowledge？　But　above　all　he　is　proud　of　being　a　Frenchman；　his　mind；　so

lucid；　so　logical；　which　has　never　gone　abroad　in　search　of　its　own

inspirations；　and　has　never　been　influenced　by　any　but　those　old　French

masters；　Fran？ois　Dufour　and　Réaumur；　and　the　old　French　classics；　has

always　felt　an　instinctive　repugnance；　which　it　has　never　been　able　to

overcome；　for　all　those　ideas　which　some　are　surreptitiously　seeking　to　put

forward　in　our　midst　in　favour　of　some　foreign　trade…mark。



Although　his　visit　to　the　court　of　Napoleon　III　left　him　with　a　rather

sympathetic　idea　of　the　Emperor；　whose　gentle；　dreamy　appearance　he　still

likes　to　recall；　he　detested　the　Empire　and　the　〃brigand's　trick〃　which

established　it。



On　the　day　of　the　proclamation　of　the　Republic　he　was　seen　in　the　streets

of　Avignon　in　company　with　some　of　his　pupils。　He　was　agreeably　surprised

at　the　turn　events　had　taken；　and　delighted　by　the　unforeseen　result　of　the

war。



A　spirit　as　proud　and　independent　as　his　was　naturally　the　enemy　of　any

species　of　servitude。　State　socialism　of　the　equalitarian　and　communistic

kind　was　to　him　no　less　horrifying。　Was　not　Nature　at　hand；　always　to

remind　him　of　her　eternal　lessons？



〃Equality；　a　magnificent　political　label；　but　scarcely　more！　Where　is　it；

this　equality？　In　our　societies　shall　we　find　even　two　persons　exactly

equal　in　vigour；　health；　intelligence；　capacity　for　work；　foresight；　and　so

many　other　gifts　which　are　the　great　factors　of　prosperity？。。。A　single　note

does　not　make　a　harmony：　we　must　have　dissimilar　notes；　discords　even；

which；　by　their　harshness；　give　value　to　the　concords；　human　societies　are

harmonious　only　thus；　by　the　concourse　of　dissimilaritie