fabre, poet of science-第12章

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central　street　adorned　by　a　double　row　of　plane…trees；　its　leaping

fountains；　and　its　almost　Italian　air。　The　houses　are　lime…washed；　with

flat　roofs；　and　sometimes；　at　the　side　of　some　small　or　decrepit　dwelling；

we　see　the　unexpected　curves　of　a　loggia。　At　a　distance　the　facade　of　the

church　has　the　harmonious　lines　of　a　little　antique　temple；　close　at　hand

is　the　graceful　campanile；　an　old　octagonal　tower　surmounted　by　a　narrow

mitre　wrought　in　hammered　iron；　in　the　midst　of　which　are　seen　the　black

profiles　of　the　bells。



I　shall　never　forget　my　first　visit。　It　was　in　the　month　of　August；　and　the

whole　countryside　was　ringing　with　the　song　of　the　cicadae。　I　had　applied

to　a　job…master　of　Orange；　counting　on　him　to　take　me　thither；　but　he　had

never　driven　any　one　to　Sérignan；　had　hardly　heard　of　Fabre；　and　did　not

know　where　his　house　was。　At　length；　however；　we　contrived　to　find　it。　At

the　entrance　of　the　little　market…town；　in　a　solitary　corner；　in　the　centre

of　an　enclosure　of　lofty　walls；　which　were　taller　than　the　crests　of　the

pines　and　cypresses；　his　dwelling　was　hidden　away。　No　sound　proceeded　from

it；　but　for　the　baying　of　the　faithful　Tom　I　do　not　think　I　should　have

dared　to　knock　on　the　great　door；　which　turned　slowly　on　its　hinges。　A　pink

house　with　green　shutters；　half…hidden　amid　the　sombre　foliage；　appears　at

the　end　of　an　alley　of　lilacs；　〃which　sway　in　the　spring　under　the　weight

of　their　balmy　thyrsi。〃　Before　the　house　are　the　shady　plane…trees；　where

during　the　burning　hours　of　August　the　cicada　of　the　flowering　ash；　the

deafening　cacan；　concealed　beneath　the　leaves；　fills　the　hot　atmosphere

with　its　eager　cries；　the　only　sound　that　disturbs　the　profound　silence　of

this　solitude。



Before　us；　beyond　a　little　wall　of　a　height　to　lean　upon；　on　an　isolated

lawn；　beneath　the　shade　of　great　trees　with　interwoven　boughs；　a　circular

basin　displays　its　still　surface；　across　which　the　skating　Hydrometra

traces　its　wide　circles。　Then；　suddenly；　we　see　an　opening　into　the　most

extraordinary　and　unexpected　of　gardens；　a　wild　park；　full　of　strenuous

vegetation；　which　hides　the　pebbly　soil　in　all　directions；　a　chaos　of

plants　and　bushes；　created　throughout　especially　to　attract　the　insects　of

the　neighbourhood。



Thickets　of　wild　laurel　and　dense　clumps　of　lavender　encroach　upon　the

paths；　alternating　with　great　bushes　of　coronilla；　which　bar　the　flight　of

the　butterfly　with　their　yellow…winged　flowers；　and　whose　searching

fragrance　embalms　all　the　air　about　them。



It　is　as　though　the　neighbouring　mountain　had　one　day　departed；　leaving

here　its　thistles；　its　dogberry…trees；　its　brooms；　its　rushes；　its　juniper…

bushes；　its　laburnums；　and　its　spurges。　There　too　grows　the　〃strawberry

tree；〃　whose　red　fruits　wear　so　familiar　an　appearance；　and　tall　pines；　the

giants　of　this　〃pigmy　forest。〃　There　the　Japanese　privet　ripens　its　black

berries；　mingled　with　the　Paulownia　and　the　Cratoegus　with　their　tender

green　foliage。　Coltsfoot　mingles　with　violets；　clumps　of　sage　and　thyme　mix

their　fragrance　with　the　scent　of　rosemary　and　a　host　of　balsamic　plants。

Amid　the　cacti；　their　fleshy　leaves　bristling　with　prickles；　the　periwinkle

opens　its　scattered　blossoms；　while　in　a　corner　the　serpent　arum　raises　its

cornucopia；　in　which　those　insects　that　love　putrescence　fall　engulfed；

deceived　by　the　horrible　savour　of　its　exhalations。



It　is　in　the　spring　above　all　that　one　should　see　this　torrent　of　verdure；

when　the　whole　enclosure　awakens　in　its　festival　attire；　decked　with　all

the　flowers　of　May；　and　the　warm　air；　full　of　the　hum　of　insects；　is

perfumed　with　a　thousand　intoxicating　scents。　It　is　in　the　spring　that　one

should　see　the　〃Harmas；〃　the　open…air　observatory；　〃the　laboratory　of

living　entomology〃　（6/1。）；　a　name　and　a　spot　which　Fabre　has　made　famous

throughout　the　world。



I　enter　the　dining…room；　whose　wide；　half…closed　shutters　allow　only　a

half…light　to　enter　between　the　printed　curtains。　Rush…bottomed　chairs；　a

great　table；　about　which　seven　persons　daily　take　their　places；　a　few　poor

pieces　of　furniture；　and　a　simple　bookcase；　such　are　all　the　contents。　On

the　mantel；　a　clock　in　black　marble；　a　precious　souvenir；　the　only　present

which　Fabre　received　at　the　time　of　his　exodus　from　Avignon；　it　was　given

by　his　old　pupils；　the　young　girls　who　used　to　attend　the　free　lectures　at

Saint…Martial's。



There；　every　afternoon；　half　lying　on　a　little　sofa；　the　naturalist　has　the

habit　of　taking　a　short　siesta。　This　light　repose；　even　without　sleep；　was

of　old　enough　to　restore　his　energies；　exhausted　by　hours　of　labour。

Thenceforth　he　was　once　more　alert；　and　ready　for　the　remainder　of　the　day。



But　already　he　is　on　his　feet；　bareheaded；　in　his　waistcoat；　his　silk

necktie　carelessly　fastened　under　the　soft　turned…down　collar　of　his　half…

open　shirt；　his　gesture；　in　the　shadowy　chamber；　full　of　welcome。



Fran？ois　Sicard；　in　his　faultless　medal　and　his　admirable　bust；　has

succeeded　with　rare　felicity　in　reproducing　for　posterity　this　rugged；

shaven　face；　full　of　laborious　years；　a　peasant　face；　stamped　with

originality；　under　the　wide　felt　hat　of　Provence；　touched　with　geniality

and　benevolence；　yet　reflecting　a　world　of　energy。　Sicard　has　fixed　for

ever　this　strange　mask；　the　thin　cheeks；　ploughed　into　deep　furrows；　the

strained　nose；　the　pendent　wrinkles　of　the　throat；　the　thin；　shrivelled

lips；　with　an　indescribable　fold　of　bitterness　at　the　corners　of　the　mouth。

The　hair；　tossed　back；　falls　in　fine　curls　over　the　ears；　revealing　a　high；

rounded　forehead；　obstinate　and　full　of　thought。　But　what　chisel；　what

graver　could　reproduce　the　surprising　shrewdness　of　that　gaze；　eclipsed

from　time　to　time　by　a　convulsive　tremor　of　the　eyelids！　What　Holbein；　what

Chardin　could　render　the　almost　extraordinary　brilliance　of　those　black

eyes；　those　dilated　pupils：　the　eyes　of　a　prophet；　a　seer；　singularly　wide

and　deeply　set；　as　though　gazing　always　upon　the　mystery　of　things；　as

though　made　expressly　to　scrutinize　Nature　and　decipher　her　enigmas？　Above

the　orbits；　two　short；　bristling　eyebrows　seem　set　there　to　guide　the

vision；　one；　by　dint　of　knitting　itself　above　the　magnifying…glass；　has

retained　an　indelible　fold　of　continual　attention；　the　other；　on　the

contrary；　always　updrawn；　has　the　look　of　defying　the　interlocutor；　of

foreseeing　his　objections；　of　waiting　with　an　ever…ready　return…thrust。

Such　is　this　striking　physiognomy；　which　one　who　has　seen　it　cannot　forget。



There；　in　this　〃hermit's　retreat；〃　as　he　himself　has　defined　it；　the　sage

is　voluntarily　sequestered；　a　true　saint　of　science；　an　ascetic　living　only

on　fruits；　vegetables；　and　a　little　wine；　so　in　love　with　retirement　that

even　in　the　village　he　was　for　a　long　time　almost　unknown；　so　careful　was

he　to　go　round　instead　of　through　it　on　his　way　to　the　neighbouring

mountain；　where　he　would　often　spend　whole　days　alone　with　wild　nature。



It　is　in　this　silent　Theba？d；　so　far　from　the　atmosphere　of　cities；　the

vain　agitations　and　storms　of　the　world；　that　his　life　has　been　passed；　in

unchanging　uniformity；　and　here　he　has　been　able　to　pursue；　with　resolute

labour　and　incredible　patience；　that　prodigious　series　of　marvellous

observations　which　for　nearly　fifty　years　he　has　never　ceased　to

accumulate。



Let　us　indeed　remember　how　much　time　has　been　required　and　what　effort　has

been　expended　to　complete　the　long　and　patient　inquiries　which　he　had

hitherto　accomplished；　obliged；　as　he　was；　to　allow　himself　to　be

interrupted　at　any　moment；　and　to　postpone　his　observations　often　at　the

most　interesting　moment；　in　order　to　undertake　some　enervating　labour；　or

the　disagreeable　and　mechanical　duties　of　his　profession。　Remember　that　his

first　labours　already　dated　from　twenty…five　years　earlier；　and　at　the

moment　when　we　observe　him　in　his　solitude　at　Sérignan　he　had　only　just

painfully　gathered　together　the　material　for　his　first　book。　What　a

contrast　to　the　thirty　fruitful　years　that　were　to　follow！　Now　nearly　ten

volumes；　no　less　overflowing　with　the　richest　material；　were　to　succeed　one

another　at　almost　regular　intervalsabout　one　in　every　three　years。



To　be　sure；　he　would　have　gathered　his　harvest　in　no　matter　what　corner　of

the　world；　provided　he　had　found　within　his　reach；　in　whatever　sphere　of

life　he　had　been　placed；　any　subject　of　inquiry　whatever；　such　was

Rousseau；　botanizing　over　the　bunch　of　chickweed　provided　for　his　canary；

such　was　Bernardin　Saint…Pierre；　discovering　a　world　in　a　strawberry…plant

which　had　sprouted　by　chance　at　the　corner　of　his　window。　（6/2。）　But　the

field　in　which　he　had　hitherto　been　able　to　glean　was　indeed　barren。　That

he　was　able；　later　on；　to　narrate　the　wonderful　history　of　the　Pelopaeus；

whose　habits　he　had　observed　at　Avignon；　was　due　to　the　fact　that　this

curious　insect　had　come　to　lodge　with　him；　having　chosen　Fabre's　chamber

for　its　dwelling。　None　the　less　he　threw　himself　eagerly　upon　all　such

scraps　of　information　as　happened　to　come　under　his　notice；　witness　the

observations　which　he　embodied　in　a　memoir　touching　the　phosphorescence　of

certain　earth…worms　which；　abounding　in　a　little　courtyard　near　his

dwelling；　were　so　rare　elsewhere　that　he　was　never　again　able　to　find　them。

（6/3。）　It　was　therefore　fortunate；　if　not　for　himself；　at　least　for　his

genius；　that　he　did　not　become；　as　he　had　wished；　a　professor　in　a　faculty；

there；　to　be　sure；　he　would　have　found　a　theatre　worthy　of　his　efforts；　in

which　he　might　even　have　demonstrated；　in　all　its　magnificence；　his

incomparable　gift　of　teaching；　but　it　is　probable　too　that　he　would　have

been　stranded　in　shoal　waters；　that　in　the　official　atmosphere　of　a　city

his　still　more　marvellous　gifts　of　observation　would　scarcely　have　found

employment。



It　was　only　by　belonging　fully　to　himself　that　he　could　fruitfully　exercise

his　talents。　Necessary　to　every　scholar；　to　every　inquirer；　to　an　open…air

observer　like　Fabre　liberty　and　leisure　were　more　than　usually　essential；

failing　these　he　might　never　have　accomplished　his　mission。　How　many　lives

are　wasted；　how　many　minds　expended　in　sheer　loss；　in　default　of　this

sufficiency　of　leisure！　How　many　scholars　tied　to　the　soil；　how　many

physicians　absorbed　by　an　exigent　practice；　who　perhaps　had　somewhat　to

say；　have　succeeded　only　in　devising　plans；　for　ever　postponing　their

realization　to　some　miraculous　tomorrow；　which　always　recedes！



But　we　must　not　fall　into　illusions。　How　many　might　be　tempted　to　imitate

him；　hoping　to　see　some　unknown　talent　awaken　or　expand　within　them；　only

to　find　themselves　incapable　of　producing　anything；　and　to　consume

themselves　in　an　insurmountable　and　barren　ennui！　One　must　be　rich　in　one's

own　nature；　rich　in　will　and　in　ability；　to　live　apart　and　seek　new　paths

in　solitude；　and　it　is　not　without　reason　that　the　majority　prefer　the

turmo