fabre, poet of science-第3章

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French　for　ever　and　for　ever；　to　make　a　good　version　you　need　only　common

sense　and　very　little　grammatical　knowledge　or　other　pedantic　accessories。



〃Imagine　an　old　inscription　half…effaced：　correctness　of　judgment　partly

supplies　the　missing　words；　and　the　sense　appears　as　if　the　whole　were

legible。　Latin；　for　you；　is　the　old　inscription；　the　root　of　the　word　alone

is　legible：　the　veil　of　an　unknown　language　hides　the　value　of　the

termination：　you　have　only　the　half　of　the　words；　but　you　have　common　sense

too；　and　you　will　make　use　of　it。〃　（1/12。）



　

CHAPTER　2。　THE　PRIMARY　TEACHER。



Furnished　with　his　superior　diploma；　he　left　the　normal　school　at　the　age

of　nineteen；　and　commenced　as　a　primary　teacher　in　the　College　of

Carpentras。



The　salary　of　the　school　teacher；　in　the　year　1842；　did　not　exceed　28

pounds　sterling　a　year；　and　this　ungrateful　calling　barely　fed　him；　save　on

〃chickpeas　and　a　little　wine。〃　But　we　must　beware　lest；　in　view　of　the

increasing　and　excessive　dearness　of　living　in　France；　the　beggarly

salaries　of　the　poor　schoolmasters　of　a　former　day；　so　little　worthy　of

their　labours　and　their　social　utility；　appear　even　more　disproportionately

small　than　they　actually　were。　What　is　more　to　the　point；　the　teachers　had

no　pension　to　hope　for。　They　could　only　count　on　a　perpetuity　of　labour；

and　when　sickness　or　infirmity　arrived；　when　old　age　surprised　them；　after

fifty　or　sixty　years　of　a　narrow　and　precarious　existence；　it　was　not

merely　poverty　that　awaited　them；　for　many　there　was　nothing　but　the

blackest　destitution。　A　little　later；　when　they　began　to　entertain　a　vague

hope　of　deliverance；　the　retiring　pension　which　was　held　up　to　their　gaze；

in　the　distant　future；　was　at　first　no　more　than　forty　francs；　and　they　had

to　await　the　advent　of　Duruy；　the　great　minister　and　liberator；　before

primary　instruction　was　in　some　degree　raised　from　this　ignominious　level

of　abasement。



It　was　a　melancholy　place；　this　college；　〃where　life　had　something

cloistral　about　it：　each　master　occupied　two　cells；　for；　in　consideration

of　a　modest　payment；　the　majority　were　lodged　in　the　establishment；　and　ate

in　common　at　the　principal's　table。〃



It　was　a　laborious　life；　full　of　distasteful　and　repugnant　duties。　We　can

readily　imagine；　with　the　aid　of　the　striking　picture　which　Fabre　has　drawn

for　us；　what　life　was　in　these　surroundings；　and　what　the　teaching　was：

〃Between　four　high　walls　I　see　the　court；　a　sort　of　bear…pit　where　the

scholars　quarrelled　for　the　space　beneath　the　boughs　of　a　plane…tree；　all

around　opened　the　class…rooms；　oozing　with　damp　and　melancholy；　like　so

many　wild　beasts'　cages；　deficient　in　light　and　air。。。for　seats；　a　plank

fixed　to　the　wall。。。in　the　middle　a　chair；　the　rushes　of　the　seat　departed；

a　blackboard；　and　a　stick　of　chalk。〃　（2/1。）



Let　the　teachers　of　our　spacious　and　well…lighted　schools　of　to…day　ponder

on　these　not　so　distant　years；　and　measure　the　progress　accomplished。

Evoking　the　memory　of　their　humble　colleague　of　Carpentras；　may　they　feel

the　true　greatness　of　his　example：　a　noble　and　a　glorious　example；　of　which

they　may　well　be　proud。



And　what　pupils！　〃Dirty；　unmannerly：　fifty　young　scoundrels；　children　or

big　lads；　with　whom；〃　no　doubt；　〃he　used　to　squabble；〃　but　whom；　after　all；

he　contrived　to　manage；　and　by　whom　he　was　listened　to　and　respected：　for

he　knew　precisely　what　to　say　to　them；　and　how；　while　talking　lightly；　to

teach　them　the　most　serious　things。　For　the　joy　of　teaching；　and　of

continually　learning　by　teaching　others；　made　everything　endurable。　Not

only　did　he　teach　them　to　read；　write；　and　cipher；　which　then　included

almost　the　entire　programme　of　primary　education；　he　endeavoured　also　to

place　his　own　knowledge　at　their　service；　as　he　himself　acquired　it。



It　was　not　only　his　love　of　the　work　that　sustained　him；　it　was　the　desire

to　escape　from　the　rut；　to　accomplish　yet　another　stage；　to　emerge；　in

short；　from　so　unsatisfactory　a　position。　Now　nothing　but　physical　and

mathematical　science　would　allow　him　to　entertain　the　hope　of　〃making　an

opening〃　in　the　world　of　secondary　schoolmasters。　He　accordingly　began　to

study　physics；　quite　alone；　〃with　an　impossible　laboratory；　experimenting

after　his　own　fashion〃；　and　it　was　by　teaching　them　to　his　pupils　that　he

learned　first　of　all　chemistry；　inexpensively　performing　little　elementary

experiments　before　them；　〃with　pipe…bowls　for　crucibles　and　aniseed　flasks

for　retorts；〃　and　finally　algebra；　of　which　he　knew　not　a　word　before　he

gave　his　first　lesson。　（2/2。）



How　he　studied；　what　was　the　secret　of　his　method；　he　told　his　brother　a

few　years　later；　when　the　latter；　marking　time　behind　him；　was　pursuing　the

same　career。　A　very　disappointing　career；　no　doubt；　and　far　from　lucrative；

but　〃one　of　the　noblest；　one　of　those　best　fitted　for　a　noble　spirit；　and　a

lover　of　the　good。〃　（2/3。）



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