fabre, poet of science-第4章

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learning　〃which　he　had　for　some　years　so　painfully　amassed〃；　he　would

profit　by　the　vacation　to　place　them　at　his　disposal；　they　would　work

together　〃and　the　light　would　come。〃　Above　all　his　brother　must　not　allow

his　intelligence　to　slumber；　must　beware　of　〃extinguishing　that　divine

light　without　which　one　can；　it　is　true；　attend　to　one's　business；　but

which　alone　can　make　a　man　honourable　and　respected。〃




Let　him；　on　the　contrary；　cultivate　his　mind　incessantly；　〃the　only

patrimony　on　which　either　of　us　can　count〃；　the　reward　would　be　his　moral

well…being；　and；　he　hoped；　his　physical　welfare　also。



Once　more　he　reinforced　his　advice　by　that　excellent　counsel　which　was

always　his　own　lodestar：　



〃Science；　Frédéric；　knowledge　is　everything。。。You　are　too　good　a　thinker

not　to　say　with　me　that　no　one　can　better　employ　his　time　than　by　acquiring

fresh　knowledge。。。Work；　then；　when　you　have　the　opportunity。。。an

opportunity　that　very　few　may　possess；　and　for　which　you　ought　to　be　only

too　thankful。　But　I　will　stop；　for　I　feel　my　enthusiasm　is　going　to　my

head；　and　my　reasons　are　so　good　already　that　I　have　no　need　of　still　more

triumphant　reasons　to　convince　you。〃　（2/8。）



He　had　only　one　passion：　shooting；　more　especially　the　shooting　of　larks。

This　sport　delighted　him；　〃with　the　mirror　darting　its　intermittent　beams

under　the　rays　of　the　morning　sun　amid　the　general　scintillation　of　the

dewdrops　and　crystals　of　hoarfrost　hanging　on　every　blade　of　grass。〃　（2/9。）



His　sight　was　admirably　sure；　and　he　rarely　missed　his　aim。　His　passion　for

shooting　was　always　sustained　by　the　same　motive：　the　desire　to　acquire

fresh　knowledge；　to　examine　unknown　creatures　close　at　hand；　to　discover

what　they　ate　and　how　they　lived。



Later；　when　he　again　took　up　his　gun；　it　was　still　because　of　his　love　of

life：　it　was　to　enable　him　to　enumerate；　inventory；　and　interrogate　his　new

compatriots；　his　feathered　fellow…citizens　of　Sérignan；　to　inform　himself

of　their　diet；　to　reveal　the　contents　of　their　crops　and　gizzards。



At　one　time　he　suddenly　ceased　to　employ　this　distraction；　he　seems　to　have

sacrificed　it　easily；　under　the　stress　of　present　necessities　and　cruel

anxieties　as　to　his　uncertain　future。　〃When　we　do　not　know　where　we　shall

be　tomorrow　nothing　can　distract　us。〃　（2/10。）



His　responsibilities　were　increasing。　He　had　lately　married。　On　the　30th

October；　1844；　he　was　wedded　to　a　young　girl　of　Carpentras；　Marie　Villard；

and　already　a　child　was　born。　His　parents；　always　unlucky；　met　nowhere　with

any　success。　By　dint　of　many　wanderings　they　had　finally　become　stranded　at

Pierrelatte；　the　chief　town　of　the　canton　of　La　Dr？me；　sheltered　by　the

great　rock　which　has　given　the　place　its　name；　and　there　again；　of　course；

they　kept　a　café；　situated　on　the　Place　d'Armes。



The　whole　family　was　now　assembled　in　the　same　district；　a　few　miles　only

one　from　another：　but　Henri　was　really　its　head。　Having　heard　that　a

quarrel　had　arisen　between　his　brother　and　his　mother；　he　wrote　to　Frédéric

in　reprimand；　gently　scolding　him　and　begging　him　to　set　matters　right；

〃even　if　all　the　wrongs　were　not　on　his　side。〃



〃My　father；　in　one　of　his　letters；　complains　that　in　spite　of　your　nearness

you　have　not　yet　been　to　see　them。　I　know　very　well　there　is　some　reason

for　sulking；　but　what　matter？　Give　it　up：　forget　everything；　do　your　best

to　put　an　end　to　all　these　petty　and　ugly　estrangements。　You　will　do　so；

won't　you？　I　count　on　it；　for　the　happiness　of　all。〃　（2/11。）



He　was　their　arbitrator；　their　adviser；　their　oracle；　their　bond　of　union。



With　all　this；　he　was　ready　to　attempt　the　two　examinations　which　were　to

decide　his　future。　Very　shortly；　at　Montpellier；　he　passed　almost

successively；　at　an　interval　of　only　a　few　months　the　examinations　for　both

his　baccalauréats；　and　then　the　two　licentiate　examinations　in　mathematics

and　physical　science。



While　he　was　ardently　studying　for　these　examinations；　sorrow　for　the　first

time　knocked　at　his　door。　His　first…born　fell　suddenly　ill；　and　in　a　few

days　died。　On　this　occasion　all　his　ardent　spirituality　asserted　itself；

though　in　stricken　accents；　in　the　letter　which　he　wrote　to　his　brother　to

announce　his　loss：　



〃After　a　few　days　of　a　marked　improvement；　which　made　me　think　he　was

saved；　two　large　teeth　were　cut。。。and　in　three　days　a　dreadful　fever　took

him；　not　from　us；　who　will　follow　him；　but　from　this　miserable　world。　Ah；

poor　child；　I　shall　always　see　you　as　you　were　during　those　last　moments；

turning　those　wide；　wandering　eyes　toward　heaven；　seeking　the　way　to　your

new　country。　With　a　heart　full　of　tears；　I　shall　often　let　my　thoughts　go

straying　after　you；　but　alas！　with　the　eyes　of　the　body　I　shall　never　see

you　again。　I　shall　see　you　no　more：　yet　only　a　few　days　ago　I　was　making

the　finest　plans　for　you。　I　used　to　work　for　you　only；　in　my　studies　I

thought　only　of　you。　Grow　up；　I　used　to　say；　and　I　will　pour　into　your　mind

all　the　knowledge　which　has　cost　me　so　dear；　which　I　am　hoarding　little　by

little。。。But　reflection　leads　me　to　higher　thoughts。　I　choke　back　the　tears

in　my　heart；　and　I　congratulate　him　that　Heaven　has　mercifully　spared　him

this　life　of　trials。。。My　poor　child。。。you　will　never；　like　your　father；

have　to　struggle　against　poverty　and　misfortune；　you　will　never　know　the

bitterness　of　life；　and　the　difficulties　of　creating　a　position　at　a　time

when　there　are　so　many　paths　that　lead　to　failure。。。I　weep　for　you　because

we　have　lost　you；　but　I　rejoice　because　you　are　happy。。。You　are　happy；　and

this　is　not　the　mad　hope　of　a　father　broken　by　sorrow；　no；　your　last　glance

told　me　so；　too　eloquently　for　me　to　doubt　it。　Oh；　how　beautiful　you　were

in　your　mortal　pallor；　the　last　sigh　on　your　lips；　your　gaze　upon　heaven；

and　your　soul　ready　to　fly　into　the　bosom　of　God！　Your　last　day　was　the

most　beautiful！〃　（2/12。）



Although　study　was　his　refuge；　although　he　was　thereby　able　to　live　through

these　evil　days　without　too　greatly　feeling　their　weight；　his　position　was

hateful；　and　he　lived　a　wretched　life　〃from　one　day　to　another；　like　a

beggar。〃



In　those　troublous　times；　when　education　was　of　no　account；　it　often

happened　that　his　teacher's　salary　was　several　months　in　arrears；　and　the

city　of　Carpentras；　〃not　being　in　funds；〃　paid　it　only　by　instalments；　and

even　so　kept　him　a　long　time　waiting。　〃One　has　to　besiege　the　paymaster's

door　merely　to　obtain　a　trifle　on　account。　I　am　ashamed　of　the　whole

business；　and　I　would　gladly　abandon　my　claim　if　I　knew　where　to　raise　any

money。〃　（2/13。）



The　genius　of　Balzac　has　recorded　some　unforgettable　types　of　those　poor

and　notable　lives；　at　once　so　humble　and　so　lofty。　He　has　described　the

village　curé　and　the　country　doctor。　But　how　we　should　have　loved　to

encounter　in　his　gallery；　among　so　many　living　portraits；　a　picture　of　the

university　life　of　fifty　years　ago；　and　above　all　a　picture　of　the　small

schoolmaster　of　other　days；　living　a　life　so　narrow；　so　slavish；　so

painful；　and　yet　so　full　of　worth；　so　imbued　with　the　sense　of　duty；　and

withal　so　resigned；　a　portrait　for　which　Fabre　might　have　served　as　model

and　prototype；　and　for　which　he　himself　has　drawn　an　unforgettable　sketch。



He　awaited　impatiently　the　news　of　his　removal；　very　modestly　limiting　his

ambitions　to　the　hope　of　entering　some　lycée　as　professor　of　the　sciences。

His　rector　was　not　unnaturally　astonished　that　a　young　man　of　such　unusual

worth；　already　twice　a　licentiate；　should　be　so　little　appreciated　by　those

in　high　places　and　allowed　to　stagnate　so　long　in　an　inferior　post；　and　one

unworthy　of　him。



In　the　end；　however；　after　much　patient　waiting；　he　became　indignant；　as

always；　he　could　see　nothing　ahead。　The　chair　of　mathematics　at　Tournon

escaped　him。　Another　position；　at　Avignon；　also　〃slipped　through　his

fingers〃；　why　or　how　he　never　knew。　He　〃began　to　see　clearly　what　life　is；

and　how　difficult　it　is　to　make　one's　mark　amid　all　this　army　of　schemers；

beggars　and　imbeciles　who　besiege　every　vacant　post。〃



But　his　heart　was　〃none　the　less　hot　with　indignation〃；　he　had　had　enough

of　〃Carpentras；　that　accursed　little　hole〃；　and　when　the　vacations　came

round　once　more　he　〃plainly　considered　the　question〃　and　declared　〃that　he

would　never　again　set　foot　inside　a　communal　school。〃　（2/14。）



He　wrote　to　the　rector：　〃If　instead　of　crushing　me　into　the　narrow　round　of

a　primary　school　they　would　give　me　some　employment　of　the　kind　for　which

my　studies　and　ideas　fit　me；　they　would　know　then　what　is　hatching　in　my

head　and　what　untirable　activity　there　is　in　me。〃　（2/15。）



He　resigned　himself　nevertheless；　he　cursed　and　swore　and　stormed　at　his

fate；　but　he　had　once　more　to　put　up　with　it　〃for　want　of　a　better。〃　All

the　same　〃the　injustice　was　too　unheard…of；　and　no　one　had　ever　seen　or

would　ever　see　the　like：　to　give　him　two　licentiate's　diplomas；　and　to　make

him　conjugate　verbs　for　a　pack　of　brats！　It　was　too　much！〃　（2/16。）





CHAPTER　3。　CORSICA。



At　last　the　chair　of　physics　fell　vacant　at　the　college　of　Ajaccio；　the

salary　being　72　pounds　sterling；　and　he　left　for　Corsica。　His　stay　there

was　well　calculated　to　impress　him。　There　the　intense　impressionability

which　the　little　peasant　of　Aveyron　received　at　birth　could　only　be

confirmed　and　increased。　He　felt　that　this　superb　and　luxuriant　nature　was

made　for　him；　and　that　he　was　born　for　it；　to　understand　and　interpret　it。

He　would　lose　himself　in　a　delicious　intoxication；　amid　the　deep　woodlands；

the　mountains　rich　with　scented　flowers；　wandering　through　the　maquis；　the

myrtle　scrub；　through　jungles　of　lentisk　and　arbutus；　barely　containing　his

emotion　when　he　passed　beneath　the　great　secular　chestnut…trees　of

Bastelica；　with　their　enormous　trunks　and　leafy　boughs；　whose　sombre

majesty　inspired　in　him　a　sort　of　melancholy　at　once　poetic　and　religious。

Before　the　sea；　with　its　infinite　distances；　he　lingered　in　ecstasy；

listening　to　the　song　of　the　waves；　and　gathering　the　marvellous　shells

which　the　snow…white　breakers　left　upon　the　beach；　and　whose　unfamiliar

forms　filled　him　with　delight。



He　was　soon　so　accustomed　to　his　new　life　in　peaceful　Ajaccio；　whose

surroundings；　decked　in　eternal　verdure；　are　so　captivating　and　so

beautiful；　that　in　spite　of　a　vague　desire　for　change　he　now　dreaded　to

leave　it。　He　never　wearied　of　admiring　and　exalting　the　beautiful　and

majestic　aspects　of　his　new　home。　How　he　longed　to　share　his　enthusiasm

with　his　father　or　his　brother；　as　he　rambled　through　the　neighbouring

maquis！



〃The　infinite；　glittering　sea　at　my　feet；　the　dreadful　masses　of　granite

overhead；　the　white；　dainty　town　seated　beside　the　water；　the　endless

jungles　of　myrtle；　which　yield　intoxicating　perfumes；　the　wastes　of

brushwood　which　the　ploughshare　has　never　turned；　which　cover　the　mountains

from　bas