fabre, poet of science-第9节

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Fabre。　This　memoir　marked　the　second　stage　of　his　scientific　career；　and

followed；　at　an　interval　of　two　years；　the　magnificent　observations　on　the

Cerceris。



These　two　studies；　true　masterpieces　of　science；　already　constituted　two

excellent　titles　to　fame；　and　would　by　themselves　have　sufficed　to　fill　a

naturalist's　whole　lifetime　and　to　make　his　name　illustrious。



》From　that　time　forward　he　had　no　peer。　The　Institute　awarded　him　one　of　its

Montyon　prizes　（4/11。）；　〃an　honour　of　which；　needless　to　say；　he　had　never

dreamed。〃　（4/12。）　Darwin；　in　his　celebrated　work　on　the　〃Origin　of

Species；〃　which　appeared　precisely　at　this　moment；　speaks　of　Fabre

somewhere　as　〃the　inimitable　observer。〃　（4/13。）



Exploring　the　immediate　surroundings　of　Avignon；　he　very　soon　discovered

fresh　localities　frequented　almost　exclusively　by　other　insects；　whose

habits　in　their　turn　absorbed　his　whole　attention。



First　of　these　was　the　sandy　plateau　of　the　Angles；　where　every　spring；　in

the　sunlit　pastures　so　beloved　of　the　sheep；　the　Scarabaeus　sacer；　with　his

incurved　feet　and　clumsy　legs；　commences　to　roll　his　everlasting　pellet；

〃to　the　ancients　the　image　of　the　world。〃　His　history；　since　the　time　of

the　Pharaohs；　had　been　nothing　but　a　tissue　of　legends；　but　stripping　it　of

the　embroidery　of　fiction；　and　referring　it　to　the　facts　of　nature；　Fabre

demonstrated　that　the　true　story　is　even　more　marvellous　than　all　the　tales

of　ancient　Egypt。　He　narrated　its　actual　life；　the　object　of　its　task；　and

its　comical　and　exhilarating　performances。　But　such　is　the　subtlety　of

these　delicate　and　difficult　researches　that　nearly　forty　years　were

required　to　complete　the　study　of　its　habits　and　to　solve　the　mystery　of

its　cradle。　（4/14。）



On　the　right　bank　of　the　Rh？ne；　facing　the　embouchure　of　the　Durance；　is　a

small　wood　of　oak…trees；　the　wood　of　Des　Issarts。　This　again；　for　many

reasons；　was　one　of　his　favourite　spots。　There；　〃lying　flat　on　the　ground；

his　head　in　the　shadow　of　some　rabbit's　burrow；〃　or　sheltered　from　the　sun

by　a　great　umbrella；　〃while　the　blue…winged　locusts　frisked　for　joy；〃　he

would　follow　the　rapid　and　sibilant　flight　of　the　elegant　Bembex；　carrying

their　daily　ration　of　diptera　to　her　larvae；　at　the　bottom　of　her　burrow；

deep　in　the　fine　sand。〃　（4/15。）



He　did　not　always　go　thither　alone：　sometimes；　on　Sundays；　he　would　take

his　pupils　with　him；　to　spend　a　morning　in　the　fields；　〃at　the　ineffable

festival　of　the　awakening　of　life　in　the　spring。〃　（4/16。）



Those　most　dear　to　him；　those　who　in　the　subsequent　years　have　remained　the

object　of　a　special　affection；　were　Devillario；　Bordone；　and　Vayssières

（4/17。）；　〃young　people　with　warm　hearts　and　smiling　imaginations；

overflowing　with　that　springtime　sap　of　life　which　makes　us　so　expansive

and　so　eager　to　know。



Among　them　he　was　〃the　eldest；　their　master；　but　still　more　their　companion

and　friend〃；　lighting　in　them　his　own　sacred　fire；　and　amazing　them　by　the

deftness　of　his　fingers　and　the　acuteness　of　his　lynx…like　eyes。　Furnished

with　a　notebook　and　all　the　tools　of　the　naturalistlens；　net；　and　little

boxes　of　sawdust　steeped　in　anaesthetic　for　the　capture　of　rare　specimens

they　would　wander　〃along　the　paths　bordered　with　hawthorn　and　hyaebla；

simple　and　childlike　folk；〃　probing　the　bushes；　scratching　up　the　sand；

raising　stones；　running　the　net　along　hedge　and　meadow；　with　explosions　of

delight　when　they　made　some　splendid　capture　or　discovered　some　unrecorded

marvel　of　the　entomological　world。



It　was　not　only　on　the　banks　of　the　Rh？ne　or　the　sandy　plateau　of　Avignon

that　they　sought　adventure　thus；　〃discussing　things　and　other　things；〃　but

as　far　as　the　slopes　of　Mont　Ventoux；　for　which　Fabre　had　always　felt　an

inexplicable　and　invincible　attraction；　and　whose　ascent　he　accomplished

more　than　twenty　times；　so　that　at　last　he　knew　all　its　secrets；　all　the

gamut　of　its　vegetation；　the　wealth　of　the　varied　flora　which　climb　its

flanks　from　base　to　summit；　and　which　range　〃from　the　scarlet　flowers　of

the　pomegranate　to　the　violet　of　Mont　Cenis　and　the　Alpine　forget…me…not〃

（4/18。）；　as　well　as　the　antediluvian　fauna　revealed　amid　its　entrails；　a

vast　ossuary　rich　in　fossils。



His　disciples；　all　of　whom；　without　exception；　regarded　him　with　absolute

worship；　have　retained　the　memory　of　his　wit；　his　enthusiasm；　his　geniality

and　his　infectious　gaiety；　and　also　of　the　singular　uncertainty　of　his

temperament；　for　on　some　days　he　would　not　speak　a　word　from　the　beginning

to　the　end　of　his　walk。



Even　his　temper；　ordinarily　gentle　and　easy；　would　suddenly　become　hasty

and　violent；　and　would　break　out　into　terrible　explosions　when　a　sudden

annoyance　set　him　beside　himself；　for　instance；　when　he　was　the　butt　of

some　ill…natured　trick；　or　when；　in　spite　of　the　lucidity　of　his

explanations；　he　felt　that　he　had　not　been　properly　understood。　Perhaps　he

inherited　this　from　his　mother；　a　rebellious；　crotchety；　somewhat　fantastic

person；　by　whose　temper　he　himself　had　suffered。



But　the　young　people　who　surrounded　him　were　far　from　being　upset　by　these

contrasts　of　temperament；　in　which　they　themselves　saw　nothing　but　natural

annoyance；　and　the　corollary；　as　it　were；　of　his　abounding　vitality。

（4/19。）



It　was　because　he　was　the　only　university　teacher　in　Avignon　to　occupy

himself　with　entomology　that　Pasteur　visited　him　in　1865。　The　illustrious

chemist　had　been　striving　to　check　the　plague　that　was　devastating　the

silkworm　nurseries；　and　as　he　knew　nothing　of　the　subject　which　he　proposed

to　study；　not　even　understanding　the　constitution　of　the　cocoon　or　the

evolution　of　the　silkworm；　he　sought　out　Fabre　in　order　to　obtain　from　his

store　of　entomological　wisdom　the　elementary　ideas　which　he　would　find

indispensable。　Fabre　has　told　us；　in　a　moving　page　（4/20）；　with　what　a

total　lack　of　comprehension　of　〃poverty　in　a　black　coat〃　the　great

scientist　gazed　at　his　poor　home。　Preoccupied　by　another　problem；　that　of

the　amelioration　of　wines　by　means　of　heat；　Pasteur　asked　him　point…blank

him；　the　humble　proletarian　of　the　university　caste；　who　drank　only　the

cheapest　wine　of　the　countryto　show　him　his　cellar。　〃My　cellar！　Why　not

my　vaults；　my　dusty　bottles；　labelled　according　to　age　and　vintage！　But

Pasteur　insisted。　Then；　pointing　with　my　finger；　I　showed　him；　in　a　corner

of　the　kitchen；　a　chair　with　all　the　straw　gone；　and　on　this　chair　a　two…

gallon　demijohn：　'There　is　my　cave；　monsieur！'〃



If　the　country　professor　was　embarrassed　by　the　chilliness　of　the　other；　he

was　none　the　less　shocked　by　his　attitude。　It　would　seem；　from　what　Fabre

has　said；　that　Pasteur　treated　him　with　a　hauteur　which　was　slightly

disdainful。　The　ignorant　genius　questioned　his　humble　colleague；　distantly

giving　him　his　orders；　explaining　his　plans　and　his　ideas；　and　informing

him　in　what　directions　he　required　assistance。



After　this；　we　cannot　be　surprised　if　the　naturalist　was　silent。　How　could

sympathetic　relations　have　survived　this　first　meeting？　Fabre　could　not

forgive　it。　His　own　character　was　too　independent　to　accommodate　itself　to

Pasteur's。　Yet　never；　perhaps；　were　two　men　made　for　a　better

understanding。　They　were　equally　expert　in　exercising　their　admirable

powers　of　vision　in　the　vast　field　of　nature；　equally　critical　of　self；

equally　careful　never　to　depart　from　the　strict　limits　of　the　facts；　and

they　were；　one　may　say；　equally　eminent　in　the　domain　of　invention；

different　though　their　fortunes　may　have　been；　for　the　sublimity　of

scientific　discoveries；　however　full　of　genius　they　may　be；　is　often

measured　only　by　the　immediate　consequences　drawn　therefrom　and　the

practical　importance　of　their　results。



In　reality；　were　they　not　two　rivals；　worthy　of　being　placed　side　by　side

in　the　paradise　of　sages？　Both　of　them；　the　one　by　demolishing　the　theory

of　spontaneous　generation；　the　other　by　refuting　the　mechanical　theory　of

the　origin　of　instincts；　have　brought　into　due　prominence　the　great　unknown

and　mysterious　forces　which　seem　destined　to　hold　eternally　in　suspense　the

profound　enigma　of　life。



Now　he　was　anxious　not　to　leave　the　Vaucluse　district；　the　scene　of　his

first　success；　and　a　place　so　fruitful　in　subjects　of　study。　He　wished　to

remain　close　to　his　insects；　and　also　near　the　precious　library　and　the

rich　collections　which　Requien　had　left　by　will　to　the　town　of　Avignon。　In

spite　of　the　meagreness　of　his　salary；　he　asked　for　nothing　more；　and；　what

is　more；　by　an　inconsequence　which　is　by　no　means　incomprehensible；　he

avoided　everything　that　might　have　resulted　in　a　more　profitable　position

elsewhere；　and　evaded　all　proposals　of　further　promotion。　Twice；　at

Poitiers　and　Marseilles；　he　refused　a　post　as　assistant　professor；　not

regarding　the　advantages　sufficient　to　balance　the　expenses　of　removal。

（4/21。）



It　is　true　that　his　modest　position　was　slightly　improved；　at　the　lycée　he