fabre, poet of science-第4节

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Listen　to　the　lesson　which　he　gives　his　brother：　



〃To…day　is　Thursday；　nothing　calls　you　out　of　doors；　you　choose　a

thoroughly　quiet　retreat；　where　the　light　is　not　too　strong。　There　you　are；

elbows　on　table；　your　thumbs　to　your　ears；　and　a　book　in　front　of　you。　The

intelligence　awakes；　the　will　holds　the　reins　of　it；　the　outer　world

disappears；　the　ear　no　longer　hears；　the　eye　no　longer　sees；　the　body　no

longer　exists；　the　mind　schools　itself；　recollects　itself；　it　is　finding

knowledge；　and　its　insight　increases。　Then　the　hours　pass　quickly；　quickly；

time　has　no　measure。　Now　it　is　evening。　What　a　day；　great　God！　But　hosts　of

truths　are　grouped　in　the　memory；　the　difficulties　which　checked　you

yesterday　have　fused　in　the　fire　of　reflection；　volumes　have　been　devoured；

and　you　are　content　with　your　day。。。



〃When　something　embarrasses　you　do　not　abuse　the　help　of　your　colleagues；

with　assistance　the　difficulty　is　only　evaded；　with　patience　and　reflection

IT　IS　OVERTHROWN。　Moreover；　one　knows　thoroughly　only　what　one　learns

oneself；　and　I　advise　you　earnestly；　as　far　as　possible；　to　have　recourse

to　no　aid　other　than　reflection；　above　all　for　the　sciences。　A　book　of

science　is　an　enigma　to　be　deciphered；　if　some　one　gives　you　the　key　of　the

enigma　nothing　appears　more　simple　and　more　natural　than　the　explanation；

but　if　a　second　enigma　presents　itself　you　will　be　as　unskilful　as　you　were

with　the　first。。。



〃It　is　probable　that　you　will　get　the　chance　of　a　few　lessons；　do　not　by

preference　accept　the　easier　and　more　lucrative；　but　rather　the　more

difficult；　even　when　the　subject　is　one　of　which　as　yet　you　know　nothing。

The　self…esteem　which　will　not　allow　one's　true　character　to　be　seen　is　a

powerful　aid　to　the　will。　Do　not　forget　the　method　of　Jules　Janin；　running

from　house　to　house　in　Paris　for　a　few　wretched　lessons　in　Latin：　'Unable

to　get　anything　out　of　my　stupid　pupils；　with　the　besotted　son　of　the

marquis　I　was　simultaneously　pupil　and　professor：　I　explained　the　ancient

authors　to　myself；　and　so；　in　a　few　months；　I　went　through　an　excellent

course　of　rhetoric。。。'



〃Above　all　you　must　not　be　discouraged；　time　is　nothing　provided　the　will

is　always　alert；　always　active；　and　never　distracted；　'strength　will　come

as　you　travel。'



〃Try　only　for　a　few　days　this　method　of　working；　in　which　the　whole　energy；

concentrated　on　one　point；　explodes　like　a　mine　and　shatters　obstacles；　try

for　a　few　days　the　force　of　patience；　strength；　and　perseverance；　and　you

will　see　that　nothing　is　impossible！〃　（2/4。）



These　serious　reflections　show　very　clearly　that　his　mind　was　already　as

mature；　as　earnest；　and　as　concentrated　as　it　was　ever　to　be。



Not　only　did　he　join　example　to　precept；　he　looked　about　him　and　began　to

observe　nature　in　her　own　house。　The　doings　of　the　Mason…bee；　which　he

encountered　for　the　first　time；　aroused　his　interest　to　such　a　pitch　that；

being　no　longer　able　to　constrain　his　curiosity；　he　boughtat　the　cost　of

what　privations！Blanchard's　〃Natural　History　of　the　Articulata；〃　then　a

classic　work；　which　he　was　to　re…read　a　hundred　times；　and　which　he　still

retains；　giving　it　the　first　place　in　his　modest　library；　in　memory　of　his

early　joys　and　emotions。



The　rocks　also　arrested　and　captivated　his　attention：　and　already　the　first

volumes　were　corpulent　of　what　was　eventually　to　become　his　gigantic

herbiary。　His　brother；　about　to　leave　for　Vezins　on　vacation；　was　told　of

the　specimens　which　he　wanted　to　complete　his　collection；　for　although　he

had　never　set　foot　there　since　his　first　departure；　he　recalled；　with

remarkable　precision；　all　the　plants　that　grew　in　his　native　countryside；

their　haunts；　their　singularities；　and　the　characteristics　by　which　one

could　not　fail　to　recognize　them：　as　well　as　all　the　places　which　they

chose　by　preference；　where　he　used　to　wander　as　an　urchin；　the　Parnassia

palustris；　〃which　springs　up　in　the　damp　meadows；　below　the　beech…wood　to

the　west　of　the　village；　which　bears　a　superb　white　flower　at　the　top　of　a

slightly　twisted　stem；　having　an　oval　leaf　about　its　middle〃；　the　purple

digitalis；　〃whose　long　spindles　of　great　red　flowers；　speckled　with　white

inside；　and　shaped　like　the　fingers　of　a　glove；〃　border　a　certain　road；　all

the　ferns　that　grow　on　the　wastes；　〃amid　which　it　is　often　no　easy　task　to

recollect　one's　whereabouts；〃　and　on　the　arid　hills　all　the　heathers；　pink；

white；　and　bluish；　with　different　foliage；　〃of　which　the　innumerable

species　do　not；　however；　very　greatly　differ。〃　Nothing　is　to　be　neglected；

〃every　plant；　whatever　it　may　be；　great　or　little；　rare　or　common；　were　it

only　a　frond　of　moss；　may　have　its　interest。〃　（2/5。）



Never　weary　of　work；　he　accumulated　all　these　treasures　in　his　little

museum；　in　order　to　study　them　the　better；　he　collected　all　the　coins

exhumed　from　this　ancient　soil；　formerly　Roman；　〃records　of　humanity　more

eloquent　than　books；〃　and　which　revealed　to　him　the　only　method　of　learning

and　actually　re…living　history：　for　he　saw　in　knowledge　not　merely　a　means

of　gaining　his　bread；　but　〃something　nobler；　the　means　of　raising　the

spirit　in　the　contemplation　of　the　truth；　of　isolating　it　at　will　from　the

miseries　of　reality；　so　to　find；　in　these　intellectual　regions；　the　only

hours　of　happiness　that　we　may　be　permitted　to　taste。〃　（2/6。）



Fabre　was　so　steeped　in　this　passion　for　knowledge　that　he　wished　to　evoke

it　in　his　brother；　now　teacher　at　Lapalud；　on　the　Rh？ne；　not　far　from

Orange。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　would　delight　in　his　wealth　still　better

could　he　share　it　with　another。　（2/7。）　He　stimulated　him；　pricked　him　on；

and　sought　to　encourage　the　remarkable　aptitude　for　mathematics　with　which

he　believed　him　endowed。　He　employed　his　whole　strength　in　breathing　into

the　other's　mind　〃that　taste　for　the　true　and　the　beautiful〃　which

possessed　his　own　nature；　he　wished　to　share　with　him　those　stores　of

learning　〃which　he　had　for　some　years　so　painfully　amassed〃；　he　would

profit　by　the　vacation　to　place　them　at　his　disposal；　they　would　work

together　〃and　the　light　would　come。〃　Above　all　his　brother　must　not　allow

his　intelligence　to　slumber；　must　beware　of　〃extinguishing　that　divine

light　without　which　one　can；　it　is　true；　attend　to　one's　business；　but

which　alone　can　make　a　man　honourable　and　respected。〃




Let　him；　on　the　contrary；　cultivate　his　mind　incessantly；　〃the　only

patrimony　on　which　either　of　us　can　count〃；　the　reward　would　be　his　moral

well…being；　and；　he　hoped；　his　physical　welfare　also。



Once　more　he　reinforced　his　advice　by　that　excellent　counsel　which　was

always　his　own　lodestar：　



〃Science；　Frédéric；　knowledge　is　everything。。。You　are　too　good　a　thinker

not　to　say　with　me　that　no　one　can　better　employ　his　time　than　by　acquiring

fresh　knowledge。。。Work；　then；　when　you　have　the　opportunity。。。an

opportunity　that　very　few　may　possess；　and　for　which　you　ought　to　be　only

too　thankful。　But　I　will　stop；　for　I　feel　my　enthusiasm　is　going　to　my

head；　and　my　reasons　are　so　good　already　that　I　have　no　need　of　still　more

triumphant　reasons　to　convince　you。〃　（2/8。）



He　had　only　one　passion：　shooting；　more　especially　the　shooting　of　larks。

This　sport　delighted　him；　〃with　the　mirror　darting　its　intermittent　beams

under　the　rays　of　the　morning　sun　amid　the　general　scintillation　of　the

dewdrops　and　crystals　of　hoarfrost　hanging　on　every　blade　of　grass。〃　（2/9。）



His　sight　was　admirably　sure；　and　he　rarely　missed　his　aim。　His　passion　for

shooting　was　always　sustained　by　the　same　motive：　the　desire　to　acquire

fresh　knowledge；　to　examine　unknown　creatures　close　at　hand；　to　discover

what　they　ate　and　how　they　lived。



Later；　when　he　again　took　up　his　gun；　it　was　still　because　of　his　love　of

life：　it　was　to　enable　him　to　enumerate；　inventory；　and　interrogate　his　new

compatriots；　his　feathered　fellow…citizens　of　Sérignan；　to　inform　himself

of　their　diet；　to　reveal　the　contents　of　their　crops　and　gizzards。



At　one　time　he　suddenly　ceased　to　employ　this　distraction；　he　seems　to　have

sacrificed　it　easily；　under　the　stress　of　present　necessities　and　cruel

anxieties　as　to　his　uncertain　future。　〃When　we　do　not　know　where　we　shall

be　tomorrow　nothing　can　distract　us。〃　（2/10。）



His　responsibilities　were　increasing。　He　had　lately　married。　On　the　30th

October；　1844；　he　was　wedded　to　a　young　girl　of　Carpentras；　Marie　Villard；

and　already　a　child　was　born。　His　parents；　always　unlucky；　met　nowhere　with

any　success。　By　dint　of　many　wanderings　they　had　finally　become　stranded　at

Pierrelatte；　the　chief　town　of　the　canton　of　La　Dr？me；　sheltered　by　the

great　rock　which　has　given　the　place　its　name；　and　there　again；　of　course；

they　kept　a　café；　situated　on　the　Place　d'Armes。



The　whole　family　was　now　assembled　in　the　same　district；　a　few　miles　only

one　from　another：　but　Henri　was　really　its　head。　Having　heard　that　a

quarrel　had　arisen　between　his