fabre, poet of science-第43节

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wisdom　and　simplicity。



The　hermit　of　Sérignan　was　the　Lucretius　of　this　Provence；　which　had

already　found　its　Virgil。　With　a　very　different　vision；　each　had　the　same

rustic　tastes；　the　same　love　of　the　free　spaces　of　wild　nature　and　the

scenes　of　rural　life。　But　Mistral；　wherever　he　looked；　saw　human　life　as

happy　and　simple；　through　the　prism　of　his　creative　imagination　and　the

optimism　of　his　happy　life。　Fabre；　on　the　contrary；　behind　the　sombre

realities　which　he　studied；　saw　only　the　ferocious　engagement　of　confused

living　forces；　and　a　frightful　tragedy。



Thus　their　two　lives；　which　were　like　parallel　lines；　never　meeting；　were

in　keeping　with　their　work。　And　while　Mistral；　still　young　and　triumphant

despite　the　years；　was　at　Maillane　overwhelmed　with　honours　and

consideration；　the　poor　great　man　of　Sérignan　lived　an　obscure　and

inglorious　existence。



He　had　the　greatest　trouble　to　live　and　rear　his　family；　and　almost　his

sole　income　consisted　of　an　uncertain　sum　of　120　pounds　sterling　annually；

which　he　had　for　some　years　received；　in　the　guise　of　a　pension；　by　the

generosity　of　the　Institute；　as　the　Gegner　prize。



Finally　his　situation　was　so　precarious　that　he　decided　to　sell　to　a　museum

that　magnificent　collection　of　water…colour　plates　in　which　he　had

represented；　life…size　and　with　an　astonishing　truth　of　colour；　all　the

fungi　which　grow　in　Provence。



He　wrote　to　Mistral　on　the　subject；　after　the　visit　which　the　latter　paid

him　in　the　spring　of　1908：　the　only　visit　of　the　kind。　Before　meeting　in

Saint…Estelle；　the　Paradise　of　the　Félibres；　they　had　wished　not　to　die

before　at　least　meeting　on　this　earth。



Fabre　wrote　to　mistral　the　following　letter；　which　I　owe　to　the　kindness　of

the　great　poet：



〃I　have　never　thought　of　profiting　by　my　humble　fungoid　water…

colours。。。Fate　will　perhaps　decide　otherwise。



〃In　this　connection；　permit　me　to　make　a　confession；　to　which　your　nobility

of　character　encourages　me。　Until　latterly　I　had　lived　modestly　on　the

product　of　my　school…books。　To…day　the　weathercock　has　turned　to　another

quarter；　and　my　books　no　longer　sell。　So　here　I　am；　more　than　ever　in　the

grip　of　that　terrible　problem　of　daily　bread。　If　you　think；　then；　that　with

your　help　and　that　of　your　friends；　my　poor　pictures　might　help　me　a

little；　I　have　decided　to　let　them　go；　but　not　without　bitterness。　It　is

like　tearing　off　a　piece　of　my　skin；　and　I　still　hold　to　this　old　skin；

shabby　as　it　may　be；　a　little　for　my　own　sake；　much　more　for　my　family's；

and　much　more　again　for　the　sake　of　my　entomological　studies；　studies　which

I　feel　obliged　to　pursue；　persuaded　that　for　a　long　time　to　come　no　one

will　care　to　resume　them；　so　ungrateful　is　the　calling。〃　（16/18。）



At　the　instigation　of　the　poet　the　prefect　Belleudy　took　it　upon　him　to

intercede　with　the　Minister；　from　whom　he　finally　wrung　a　grant　of　40

pounds　sterling；　〃in　encouragement　of　the　sciences。〃　Finally　he　ventured　to

reveal　the　situation　to　the　General　Council　of　Vaucluse；　and　to　require　it

to　contribute　at　least　its　share；　in　order　to　ensure　a　peaceful　and　decent

old　age　to　a　man　who　was　not　only　the　greatest　celebrity　of　the　department；

but　also　one　of　the　highest　glories　of　the　nation。　He　pleaded　so　well　and

so　nobly　that　the　assembly　granted　Fabre　an　annual　sum　of　20　pounds

sterling；　〃as　the　public　homage　which　his　compatriots　pay　to　his　lofty

science　and　HIS　EXCESSIVE　MODESTY。〃　（16/19。）　At　the　same　time；　in　a

generous　impulse；　the　Council　placed　at　his　disposal　all　the　scientific

equipment　of　the　departmental　laboratory　of　agricultural　analysis；　which

was　no　longer　used；　there　was　indeed　talk　of　suppressing　it。



Now　that　the　burden　of　his　days　weighed　so　heavily　on　him；　and　his　task　was

virtually　finished；　everything；　by　the　customary　irony　of　things；　was

coming　his　way　simultaneously：　not　only　what　was　necessary　and

indispensable；　but　even　something　that　was　superfluous。



So　one　day　all　these　delicate　instruments；　useless　to　a　biologist　who　by

the　very　nature　of　his　labours　had　done　without　them　all　his　life；　and　had

never　wearied　of　denying　their　utility；　arrived　at　Sérignan。　He　did　not

possess　even　one　modest　thermometer；　and　as　for　the　superb　microscope　over

which　he　so　often　bent；　the　only　costly　instrument　in　his　rustic

laboratory；　it　was　a　precious　present　which；　at　the　instigation　of　Duruy；

Dumas　the　chemist　had　given　him　years　before；　but　a　simple　lens　very　often

sufficed　him。　〃The　secrets　of　life；〃　he　somewhere　writes；　〃are　to　be

obtained　by　simple；　makeshift；　inexpensive　means。　What　did　the　best　results

of　my　inquiry　into　instinct　cost　me？　Only　time；　and　above　all；　patience。〃



It　was　then　that　a　few　of　his　disciples；　finally　affected　by　such

abandonment；　decided　to　celebrate　his　jubilee；　hoping　thus　to　reveal　both

his　name　and　his　wonderful　books　to　the　crowd　that　knew　nothing　of　him。

（16/20。）



It　was　time；　a　little　longer；　and；　according　to　his　racy　phrase；　〃the

violins　would　have　come　too　late。〃　The　old　master　is　daily　nearer　his

decline；　his　sight；　once　so　piercing；　is　now　so　obscured　that　he　can　barely

see　to　sign　his　name；　in　a　small；　tremulous　hand；　confused　and　illegible。

His　muscles　are　so　feeble　now　that　he　can　walk　only　in　short　steps；　on　his

wife's　arm；　leaning　on　a　cane；　and　he　would　soon　be　piteously　exhausted

were　not　some　seat　available　within　immediate　reach。　Very　soon　now　he　will

no　longer　hope　to　make　the　tour　of　this　Harmas；　which　his　feet　have　trodden

daily　for　thirty　years。　In　this　failure　of　the　body；　all　that　survives　are

the　two　sparkling　cavities　of　his　eyes　and　his　extraordinary　memory。



But　he　is　far　from　being　mournful：　he　feels　only　an　immense　lassitude；　and

an　infinite　regret　that　perhaps　he　will　not　be　able　to　bring　his　series　of

〃Souvenirs〃　to　the　point　he　had　desired；　not　wishing　to　die　until　he　has

pushed　his　career　as　far　as　is　in　his　power；　without　having　worked；　on　his

feet；　until　the　very　hour　when　the　light　of　this　world　is　suddenly

withdrawn；　and　his　eyes　open　upon　the　infinite　life；　beyond　the　infinite

worlds　of　space。



The　festival　took　place　on　the　3rd　of　April　of　the　year　1910；　and　was

touching　in　its　simplicity。



What　an　unforgettable　day　in　the　life　of　Fabre！　That　morning　the　gate　of

the　Harmas　was　left　open　to　all；　and　many　of　the　people　of　Sérignan　who

invaded　the　garden　were　able　to　look　for　the　first　time　on　the　face　of

their　fellow…citizen；　who　had　so　long　lived　among　them；　and　whom　they　had

now；　to　their　astonishment；　discovered。



But　among　the　crowd　of　friends　and　admirers　who；　coming　from　all　parts；

pressed　around　the　little　pink　house；　the　most　amazed　of　all　was　Marius；

the　blind　cabinet…maker；　unable　to　contain　his　intense　delight　at　the

sudden　burning　of　so　much　incense　before　his　idol；　for　to　him　it　had　seemed

that　this　day　of　apotheosis　would　never　dawn！



For　nothing　was　certain；　although　the　day　of　the　jubilee　had　long　been

fixed。　In　the　first　place　there　had　been　serious　defections　in　the　ranks　of

the　official　personages　who　were　to　take　part　in　the　ceremony。　Then　the

weather　was　terrible　for　the　time　of　year；　the　spring　had　commenced

gloomily；　a　season　of　floods　and　catastrophes。　But　on　this　morning　the　rain

of　days　had　ceased　to　fall；　and　suddenly　the　sun　appeared。



Among　other　compliments　and　marks　of　homage　the　old　man　was　presented　with

a　golden　plaque；　on　one　side　of　which　Sicard；　who　stood　revealed　as　a

master　of　the　burin；　had　engraved　his　portrait　with　rare　fidelity。　The

reverse　was　resplendent　with　one　of　the　most　beautiful　syntheses　which　the

history　of　art　has　known；　a　surprising　allegory；　in　which　the　imagination

of　the　artist　evoked　the　man　of　science；　the　singer　of　the　insects；　the

landscape　which　had　seen　the　birth　of　so　many　little　lives；　and　the　village

amid　the　olive…trees；　in　front　of　the　sun…steeped　Ventoux。



At　this　festival；　the　jubilee　of　a　scientist；　the　scientists　were　least

numerous。



The　banquet　was　given　in　the　large　room　of　a　cafe　in　the　midst　of　Sérignan；

in　order；　no　doubt；　that　in　this　humble　life　even　glory　should　be　modest。



As　Fabre　could　not　walk；　he　was　helped　into　the　carriage　of　ceremony；　which

was　sent　expressly　from　Orange；　and　the　little　procession；　which　was

swelled　by　the　municipal　choral　society；　spurred　on　by　Marius；　moved　slowly

off　along　the　sole　central　street。



It　was　a　great　family　repast：　one　of　those　love…feasts　in　which　all

communicate　in　a　single　thought。



Edmond　Perrier　brought　the　naturalist　the　homage　of　the　Institute；　and

expressed　in　unaffected　terms　the　just　admiration　which　he　himself　felt。

The　better　to　praise　him；　he　gave　a　summary　of　his　admirable　career；　and

his　immortal　work。　At　the　evocation　of　this　long　past　of　labour　Fabre

regretted　his　poor　vanished　joys；　〃the　sole　moments　of　happiness　in　his

life。〃



Moved　to　tears；　by　his　memories　and　by　the　simple　and