fabre, poet of science-第13章

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

turmoil　of　cities　and　the　murmur　of　men　to　the　silence　of　the　country。



The　atmosphere　of　a　great　capital；　for　instance；　is　singularly　conducive　to

work。　Living　constantly　within　the　circle　of　light　shed　by　the　masters；

within　reach　of　the　laboratories　and　the　great　libraries；　we　are　less

likely　to　go　astray；　we　are　stimulated　by　the　contact　of　others；　we　profit

by　their　advice　and　experience；　and　it　is　easy　to　borrow　ideas　if　we　lack

them。　Then　there　is　the　stimulant　of　self…respect；　the　sense　of　rivalry；

the　eager　desire　to　advance；　to　distinguish　oneself；　to　shine；　to　attract

attention；　to　become　in　one's　turn　an　arbiter；　an　object　of　wonder　and

envy；　without　which　stimulus　many　would　merely　have　existed；　and　would

never　have　become　what　they　are。



On　the　other　hand；　a　man　needs　an　intrinsic　radio…activity；　and　a　real

talent；　and　the　aid；　moreover；　of　exceptional　circumstances；　if　fame　is　to

consent　to　come　to　him　and　take　him　by　the　hand　in　the　depths　of　some

unknown　Maillane；　some　obscure　Sérignan；　even；　as　in　the　case　of　Fabre；　at

the　end　only　of　a　long　life。



But　he；　by　a　kind　of　fatality　inherent　in　his　nature；　loved　〃to

circumscribe　himself；〃　according　to　the　happy　expression　of　Rousseau；　and

he　profited；　rather　than　otherwise；　by　living　entirely　to　himself；　for　he

had　long　been；　indeed　he　always　was；　the　man　who；　at　twenty…five；　writing

to　his　brother；　had　said；　in　speaking　of　his　native　countryside：　



〃For　a　impassioned　botanist；　it　is　a　delightful　country；　in　which　I　could

pass　a　month；　two　months；　three　months；　a　year　even；　alone；　quite　alone；

with　no　other　companion　than　the　crows　and　the　jays　which　gossip　among　the

oak…trees；　without　being　weary　for　a　moment；　there　would　be　so　many

beautiful　fungi；　orange；　rosy；　and　white；　among　the　mosses；　and　so　many

flowers　in　the　fields。〃　（6/4。）



His　work　having　brought　him　at　last　just　enough　to　enable　him　to　give

himself　the　pleasure　of　becoming；　in　his　turn；　a　proprietor；　he　had

acquired；　for　a　modest　sum；　this　dilapidated　dwelling　and　this　deserted

spot　of　ground；　barren　land；　given　over　to　couch…grass；　thistles；　and

brambles；　a　sort　of　〃accursed　spot；　to　which　no　one　would　have　confided

even　a　pinch　of　turnip…seed。〃　A　piece　of　water　in　front　of　the　house

attracted　all　the　frogs　in　the　neighbourhood；　the　screech…owl　mewed　from

the　tops　of　the　plane…trees；　and　numerous　birds；　no　longer　disturbed　by　the

presence　of　man；　had　domiciled　themselves　in　the　lilacs　and　the　cypresses。

A　host　of　insects　had　seized　upon　the　dwelling；　which　had　long　been

deserted。



He　restored　the　house；　and　to　some　extent　reduced　confusion　to　order。　In

the　uncultivated　and　pebbly　plain　where　the　plough　had　been　long　a　stranger

he　established　plants　of　a　thousand　varieties；　and；　the　better　to　hide

himself；　he　had　walls　built　to　shut　himself　in。



Why　was　he　drawn　by　preference　to　this　village　of　Sérignan？for　he　did　not

go　thither　without　making　some　inquiries　as　to　the　possibility　of　obtaining

shelter　elsewhere；　and　the　Carpentras　cemetery　had　tempted　him　also；　but

what　had　particularly　seduced　and　drawn　him　thither　was　the　nearness　of　the

mountain　with　its　Mediterranean　flora；　so　rich　that　it　recalled　the

Corsican　maquis；　full　of　beautiful　fungi　and　varied　insects；　where；　under

the　flat　stones　exposed　to　the　burning　sun；　the　centipede　burrowed　and　the

scorpion　slept；　where　a　special　fauna　aboundedof　curious　dung…beetles；

scarabaei；　the　Copris；　the　Minotaur；　etc。which　only　a　little　farther

north　grow　rapidly　scarcer　and　then　altogether　disappear。



He　had　thus　at　last　arrived　in　port；　he　had　found　his　〃Eden。〃



He　had　realized；　〃after　forty　years　of　desperate　struggles；〃　the　dearest；

the　most　ardent；　the　longest　cherished　of　all　his　desires。　He　could　observe

at　leisure　〃every　day；　every　hour；〃　his　beloved　insects；　〃under　the　blue

sky；　to　the　music　of　the　cigales。〃　He　had　only　to　open　his　eyes　and　to　see；

to　lend　an　ear　and　hear；　to　enjoy　the　great　blessing　of　leisure　to　his

heart's　content。



Doffing　the　professor's　frock…coat　for　the　peasant's　blouse；　planting　a

root　of　sweet　basil　in　his　〃topper；〃　and　finally　kicking　it　to　pieces；　he

snapped　his　fingers　at　his　past　life。



Liberated　at　last；　far　from　all　that　could　irritate　or　disturb　him　or　make

him　feel　dependent；　satisfied　with　his　modest　earnings；　reassured　by　the

ever…increasing　popularity　of　his　little　books；　he　had　obtained　entire

possession　of　his　own　body　and　mind；　and　could　give　himself　without　reserve

to　his　favourite　subjects。



So；　with　Nature　and　her　inexhaustible　book　before　him；　he　truly　commenced　a

new　life。



But　would　this　life　have　been　possible　without　the　support　and　comfort　of

those　intimate　feelings　which　are　at　the　root　of　human　nature？　Man　is

seldom　the　master　of　these　feelings；　and　they；　with　reason　or　despite

reason；　force　themselves　on　his　notice　as　the　question　of　questions。



This　delicate　problem　Fabre　had　to　resolve　after　suffering　a　fresh　grief。

Hardly　had　he　commenced　to　enjoy　the　benefits　of　this　profound　peace；　when

he　lost　his　wife。　At　this　moment　his　children　were　already　grown　up；　some

were　married　and　some　ready　to　leave　him；　and　he　could　not　hope　much　longer

to　keep　his　old　father；　the　ex…café…keeper　of　Pierrelatte；　who　had　come　to

rejoin　him；　and　who　might　be　seen；　even　in　his　extreme　old　age；　going　forth

in　all　weathers　and　dragging　his　aged　limbs　along　all　the　roads　of

Sérignan。　（6/5。）　The　son；　moreover；　had　inherited　from　his　father　his

profound　inaptitude　for　the　practical　business　of　life；　and　was　equally

incapable　of　managing　his　interests　and　the　economics　of　the　house。　This　is

why；　after　two　years　of　widowerhood；　having　already　passed　his　sixtieth

year；　although　still　physically　quite　youthful；　he　remarried。　Careless　of

opinion；　obeying　only　the　dictates　of　his　own　heart　and　mind；　and　following

also　the　intuitions　of　unerring　instinct；　which　was　superior　to　the

understanding　of　those　who　thought　it　their　duty　to　oppose　him；　he　married；

as　Boaz　married　Ruth；　a　young　woman；　industrious；　full　of　freshness　and

life；　already　completely　devoted　to　his　service；　and　admirably　fitted　to

satisfy　that　craving　for　order；　peace；　quiet；　and　moral　tranquillity；　which

to　him　were　above　all　things　indispensable。



His　new　companion；　moreover；　was　in　all　things　faithful　to　her　mission；　and

it　was　thanks　to　the　benefits　of　this　union；　as　the　future　was　to　show；

that　Fabre　was　in　a　position　to　pursue　his　long…delayed　inquiries。



Three　children；　a　son　and　two　daughters；　were　born　in　swift　succession；　and

reconstituted　〃the　family；〃　which　was　very　soon　increased　by　the　youngest

of　his　daughters　by　his　first　wife；　who　had　not　married；　this　was　that

Agla？；　who　so　often　helped　her　father　with　her　childlike　attentions；　and；

〃her　cheek　blooming　with　animation；〃　collaborated　in　some　of　his　most

famous　observations　（6/6。）；　an　unobtrusive　figure；　a　soul　full　of　devotion

and　resignation；　heroic　and　tender。　Having　in　vain　ventured　into　the　world；

she　had　returned　to　the　beloved　roof　at　Sérignan；　unable　to　part　from　the

father　she　so　admired　and　adored。



Later；　when　the　shadow　of　age　grew　denser　and　heavier；　the　young　wife　and

the　younger　children　of　the　famous　poet…entomologist　took　part　in　his

labours　also；　they　gave　him　their　material　assistance；　their　hands；　their

eyes；　their　hearing；　their　feet；　he　in　the　midst　of　them　was　the

conceiving；　reasoning；　interpreting；　and　directing　brain。



》From　this　time　forward　the　biography　of　Fabre　becomes　simplified；　and

remains　a　statement　of　his　inner　life。　For　thirty　years　he　never　emerged

from　his　horizon　of　mountains　and　his　garden　of　shingle；　he　lived　wholly

absorbed　in　domestic　affections　and　the　tasks　of　a　naturalist。　None　the

less；　he　still　exercised　his　vocation　as　teacher；　for　neither　pure　science

nor　poetry　was　sufficient　to　nourish　his　mind；　and　he　was　still　Professor

Fabre；　untiringly　pursuing　his　programme　of　education；　although　no　longer

applying　himself　thereto　exclusively。



This　long　active　period　was　also　the　most　silent　period　of　his　life；

although　not　an　hour；　not　a　minute　of　his　many　days　was　left　unoccupied。



In　the　first　few　months　at　his　new　home　he　resumed　his　hymn　to　labour。



〃You　will　learn　in　your　turn；〃　he　writes　to　his　son　émile；　〃you　will　learn；

I　hope；　that　we　are　never　so　happy　as　when　work　does　not　leave　us　a

moment's　repose。　To　act　is　to　live。〃　（6/7。）



The　better　to　belong　to　himself；　he　eluded　all　invitations；　even　those　from

his　nearest　or　most　intimate　friends；　he　hated　to　go　away　even　for　a　few

hours；　preferring　to　enjoy　in　his　own　house　their　presence　amidst　his

habitual　and　delightful　surroundings。　Everything　in　this　still　unexplored

country　was　new　to　him。　What　would　he　do　elsewhere；　even　in　his　beloved

Carpentras；　whither　his　faithful　friend　and　pupil　Devillario；　who　had

formerly　followed　him　in　his　walks　around　Avignon；　would　endeavour　from

time　to　time　to　draw　him？　Devillario　was　a　magistrate；　a　collector　and

palaeontologist；　his　simple　tastes；　his　wide　culture；　and　his　passion　for

natural　history　would　surely　have　decided　Fabre　to　accept　his　invitations；

but　that　he　forbade　himself　the　pleasure。　〃I　am　afraid　the　hospitable

cutlet　that　awaits　me　at　your　table　will　have　time　to　grow　cold；　I　am　up　to

the　neck　in　my　work　（6/8。）。。。But　you；　when　you　can；　escape　from　your

courts；　and　we　will　philosophize　at　random；　as　is　our　custom　when　we　can

manage　to　pass　a　few　hours　together。　As　for　me；　it　is　very　doubtful　whether

the　temptation　will　seize　me　to　come　to　Carpentras。　A　hermit　of　the　Theba？d

was　no　more　diligent　in　his　cell　than　I　in　my　village　home。〃　（6/9。）





CHAPTER　7。　THE　INTERPRETATION　OF　NATURE。



Was　there　not　indeed　a　sufficiency　of　captivating　matters　all　about　him；

and　beneath　his　very　feet？



In　his　deep；　sunny　garden　a　thousand　insects　fly；　creep；　crawl；　and　hum；

and　each　relates　its　history　to　him。　A　golden　gardener…beetle　trots　along

the　path。　Rose…beetles　pass；　in　snoring　flight；　on　every　hand；　the　gold　and

emerald　of　their　elytra　gleaming；　now　and　again　one　of　them　alights　for　a

moment　on　the　flowering　head　of　a　thistle；　he　seizes　it　carefully　with　the

tips　of　his　nervous；　pointed　fingers；　seems　to　caress　it；　speaks　to　it；　and

then　suddenly　restores　it　to　freedom。



Wasps　are　pillaging　the　centauries。　On　the　blossoms　of　the　camomile　the

larvae　of　the　Melo？　are　waiting　for　the　Anthophorae　to　carry　them　off　to

their　cells；　while　around　them　roam　the　Cicindelae；　their　green　bodies

〃spotted　with　points　of　amaranth。〃　At　the　bottom　of　the　walls　〃the　chilly

Psyche　creeps　slowly　along　under　her　cloak　of　tiny　twigs。〃　In　the　dead

bough　of　a　lilac…tree　the　dark…hued　Xylocopa；　the　wood…boring　bee；　is　busy

tunnelling　her　gallery。　In　the　shade　of　the　rushes　the　Pr