fabre, poet of science-第6章

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sick…leave；　and　returned　to　Provence　after　a　terrible　crossing　which　lasted

no　less　than　three　days　and　two　nights；　on　a　sea　so　furious　that　he　gave

himself　up　for　lost。　（3/14。）



Slowly　he　recovered　his　health；　and　after　a　second　but　brief　stay　at

Ajaccio　he　received　the　news　of　his　appointment　to　the　lycée　of　Avignon。

（3/15。）



He　returned　with　his　imagination　enriched　and　his　mind　expanded；　with

settled　ideas；　and　thoroughly　ripe　for　his　task。





CHAPTER　4。　AT　AVIGNON。



The　resolute　worker　resumed　his　indefatigable　labours　with　an　ardour

greater　than　ever；　for　now　he　was　haunted　by　a　noble　ambition；　that　of

becoming　a　teacher　of　the　superior　grade；　and　of　〃talking　plants　and

animals〃　in　a　chair　of　the　faculty。　With　this　end　in　view　he　added　to　his

two　diplomasthose　of　mathematics　and　physicsa　third　certificate；　that

of　natural　sciences。　His　success　was　triumphant。



Already　tenacious　and　fearless　in　affirming　what　he　believed　to　be　the

truth；　he　astonished　and　bewildered　the　professors　of　Toulouse。　Among　the

subjects　touched　upon　by　the　examiners　was　the　famous　question　of

spontaneous　generation；　which　was　then　so　vital；　and　which　gave　rise　to　so

many　impassioned　discussions。　The　examiner；　as　it　chanced；　was　one　of　the

leading　apostles　of　this　doctrine。　The　future　adversary　of　Darwin；　at　the

risk　of　failure；　did　not　scruple　to　argue　with　him；　and　to　put　forward　his

personal　convictions　and　his　own　arguments。　He　decided　the　vexed　question

in　his　own　way；　on　his　own　responsibility。　A　personality　already　so

striking　was　regarded　with　admiration；　a　candidate　so　far　out　of　the

ordinary　was　welcomed　with　enthusiasm；　and　but　for　the　insufficiency　of　the

budget　which　so　scantily　met　the　needs　of　public　instruction　his

examination　fees　would　have　been　returned。　（4/1。）



Why；　after　this　brilliant　success；　was　Fabre　not　tempted　to　enter　himself

for　a　fellowship；　which　would　later　in　his　career　have　averted　so　many

disappointments？　It　was　doubtless　because　he　felt；　obscurely；　that　his

ideal　future　lay　along　other　lines；　and　that　he　would　have　been　taking　a

wrong　turning。　Despite　all　the　solicitations　which　were　addressed　to　him　he

would　think　of　nothing　but　〃his　beloved　studies　in　natural　history〃　（4/2。）；

he　feared　to　lose　precious　time　in　preparing　himself　for　a　competitive

examination；　〃to　compromise　by　such　labour；　which　he　felt　would　be

fruitless〃　（4/3。）；　the　studies　which　he　had　already　commenced；　and　the

inquiries　already　carried　out　in　Corsica。　He　was　busy　with　his　first

original　labours；　the　theses　which　he　was　preparing　with　a　view　to　his

doctorate　in　natural　science；　〃which　might　one　day　open　the　doors　of　a

faculty　for　him；　far　more　easily　than　would　a　fellowship　and　its

mathematics。〃　（4/4。）



At　heart　he　was　utterly　careless　of　dignities　and　degrees。　He　worked　only

to　learn；　not　to　attain　and　follow　up　a　settled　calling。　What　he　hoped

above　all　was　to　succeed　in　devoting　all　his　leisure　to　those　marvellous

natural　sciences　in　which　he　could　vaguely　foresee　studies　full　of

interest；　something　animated　and　vital；　a　thousand　fascinating　themes；　and

an　atmosphere　of　poetry。



His　genius；　as　yet　invisible；　was　ripening　in　obscurity；　but　was　ready　to

come　forth；　he　lacked　only　the　propitious　circumstance　which　would　allow

him　to　unfold　his　wings。



He　was　seeking　them　in　vain　when　a　volume　by　Léon　Dufour；　the　famous

entomologist；　who　then　lived　in　the　depths　of　the　Landes；　fell　by　chance

into　his　hands；　and　lit　the　first　spark　of　that　beacon　which　was　presently

to　decide　the　definite　trend　of　his　ideas。



It　was　this　incident　which　then　and　there　developed　the　germs　already

latent　within　him。　These　had　only　awaited　such　an　occasion　as　that　which　so

fortunately　came　to　pass　one　evening　of　the　winter　of　1854。



Fabre　offers　yet　another　example　of　the　part　so　often　played　by　chance　in

the　manifestations　of　talent。　How　many　have　suddenly　felt　the　unexpected

awakening　of　gifts　which　they　did　not　suspect；　as　a　result　of　some　unusual

circumstance！



Was　it　not　simply　as　a　result　of　having　read　a　note　by　the　Russian　chemist

Mitscherlich　on　the　comparison　of　the　specific　characteristics　of　certain

crystals　that　Pasteur　so　enthusiastically　took　up　his　researches　into

molecular　asymmetry　which　were　the　starting…point　of　so　many　wonderful

discoveries？



Again；　we　need　only　recall　the　case　of　Brother　Huber；　the　celebrated

observer　of　the　bee；　who；　having　out　of　simple　curiosity　undertaken　to

verify　certain　experiments　of　Réaumur's；　was　so　completely　and　immediately

fascinated　by　the　subject　that　it　became　the　object　of　the　rest　of　his

life。



Again；　we　may　ask　what　Claude　Bernard　would　have　been　had　he　not　met

Magendie？　Similarly　Léon　Dufour's　little　work　was　to　Fabre　the　road　to

Damascus；　the　electric　impulse　which　decided　his　vocation。



It　dealt　with　a　very　singular　fact　concerning　the　manners　of　one　of　the

hymenoptera；　a　wasp；　a　Cerceris；　in　whose　nest　Dufour　had　found　small

coleoptera　of　the　genus　Buprestis；　which；　under　all　the　appearances　of

death；　retained　intact　for　an　incredible　time　their　sumptuous　costume；

gleaming　with　gold；　copper；　and　emerald；　while　the　tissues　remained

perfectly　fresh。　In　a　word；　the　victims　of　Cerceris；　far　from　being

desiccated　or　putrefied；　were　found　in　a　state　of　integrity　which　was

altogether　paradoxical。



Dufour　merely　believed　that　the　Buprestes　were　dead；　and　he　gave　an

attempted　explanation　of　the　phenomenon。



Fabre；　his　curiosity　and　interest　aroused；　wished　to　observe　the　facts　for

himself；　and；　to　his　great　surprise；　he　discovered　how　incomplete　and

insufficiently　verified　were　the　observations　of　the　man　who　was　at　that

time　known　as　〃the　patriarch　of　entomologists。〃



》From　that　moment　he　saw　his　way　ahead；　he　suspected　that　there　was　still

much　to　discover　and　much　to　revise　in　this　vast　department　of　nature；　and

conceived　the　idea　of　resuming　the　work　so　splendidly　outlined　by　Réaumur

and　the　two　Hubers；　but　almost　completely　neglected　since　the　days　of　those

illustrious　masters。　He　divined　that　here　were　fresh　pastures；　a　vast

unexplored　country　to　be　opened　up；　an　entire　unimagined　science　to　be

founded；　wonderful　secrets　to　be　discovered；　magnificent　problems　to　be

solved；　and　he　dreamed　of　consecrating　himself　unreservedly；　of　employing

his　whole　life　in　the　pursuit　of　this　object；　that　long　life　whose　fruitful

activity　was　to　extend　over　nearly　ninety　years；　and　which　was　to　be　so

〃representative〃　by　the　dignity　of　the　man；　the　probity　of　the　expert；　the

genius　of　the　observer；　and　the　originality　of　the　writer。



The　year　1855　saw　the　first　appearance；　in　the　〃Annales　des　sciences

naturelles；〃　of　the　famous　memoir　which　marked　the　beginning　of　his　fame：

the　history；　which　might　well　be　called　marvellous　and　incredible；　of　the

great　Cerceris；　a　giant　wasp　and　〃the　finest　of　the　Hymenoptera　which　hunt

for　booty　at　the　foot　of　Mont　Ventoux。〃　（4/5。）



Fabre　was　now　thirty…two　years　old；　and　his　situation　as　assistant…

professor　of　physics　was　somewhat　precarious。　From　the　72　pounds　sterling

which　he　drew　at　Ajaccio；　an　overseas　post；　his　salary　was　reduced；　on　his

return　to　the　mainland；　to　64　pounds　sterling；　and　during　the　whole　of　his

stay　at　Avignon　he　obtained　neither　promotion　nor　the　smallest　increase　of

pay；　excepting　a　few　additional　profits　which　were　unconnected　with　his

habitual　duties。　When　he　left　the　university　after　twenty　well…filled

years；　he　left　as　he　had　entered；　with　the　same　title；　rank；　and　salary　of

a　mere　assistant…professor。



Yet　all　about　him　〃everywhere　and　for　every　one；　all　was　black　indeed〃：　his

family　had　increased　and　therewith　his　expenses；　there　were　now　seven　at

table　every　day。　Very　shortly　his　modest　salary　would　no　longer　suffice；　he

was　obliged　to　supplement　it　by　all　sorts　of　hack…workclasses；

〃repetitions；〃　private　lessons；　tasks　which　repelled　him；　for　they　absorbed

all　his　available　time；　they　prevented　him　from　giving　himself　up　to　his

favourite　studies；　to　his　silent　and　solitary　observations。　Nevertheless；

he　acquitted　himself　of　these　duties　patiently　and　conscientiously；　for　at

heart　he　loved　his　profession；　and　was　rather　a　fellow…disciple　than　a

master　to　his　pupils。　For　this　reason　all　those　about　him　worked　with

praiseworthy　assiduity；　even　the　worst　elements；　the　black　sheep；　the　〃bad

eggs〃　of　other　classes；　with　him　were　suddenly　transformed　and　as　attentive

as　the　rest。　Although　he　knew　how　to　keep　order；　how　to　make　himself

respected；　and　could　on　occasion　deal　severely　and　speak　sternly；　so　that

very　few　dared　to　forget　themselves　before　him；　he　knew　also　how　to　be

merry　with　his　pupils；　chatting　with　them　familiarly；　putting　himself　in

their　place；　entering　into　their　ideas；　and　making　himself　their　rival。　If

life　was　laborious　under　his　ferula；　it　was　also　merry。　The　best　proof　of

this　is　the　fact　that　of　all　his　colleagues　at　the　lycée　he　was　the　only

one　who　had　no　nickname；　a　rarity　in　scholastic　annals。



He　did　not　therefore　object　to　these　lessons；　but　while　at　Carpentras　he

was　made　much　of　and　praised　by　the　principal；　was　a　general　favourite；　and

had　perfect　liberty　to　follow　his　inspiration　during　his　partly　gratuitous

classes；　here　the　hours　and　the　programme　tied　him　down；　which　was

precisely　what　he　found　insupportable。



Everything　made　things　difficult　for　him　here：　his　external　self；　his

character；　ever　so　little　shy　and　unsocial；　his　temperament；　which　was　made

for　solitude。



In　the　thick　of　this　hierarchical　society　of　university　professors　he

remained　independent；　he　knew　nothing　of　what　was　said　or　what　was

happening　in　the　college；　and　his　colleagues　were　always　better　informed

than　he。　（4/6。）　As　he　was　not　a　fellow；　he　was　made　to　feel　the　fact　and

was　treated　as　a　subordinate；　the　others；　who　prided　themselves　on　the

title；　and　who　were　incapable　of　recognizing　his　merit；　which　was　a　little

beyond　them；　were　jealous　of　him；　all　the　more　inasmuch　as　his　name　was

momentarily　noised　abroad；　and　they　revenged　themselves　by　calling　him　〃the

fly〃　among　themselves；　by　way　of　allusion　to　his　favourite　subject。　（4/7。）



Indifferent　to　distinctions；　as　well　as　to　those　who　bore　them；

contemptuous　of　etiquette；　and　incapable　of　putting　constraint　upon　his

nature；　he　remained　an　〃outsider；〃　and　refused　to　comply　with　a　host　of

factitious　or　worldly　obligations　which　he　regarded　as　useless　or

disgusting。　Thus　even　at　Ajaccio　he　managed　to　escape　the　customary

ceremonies　of　New　Year's　Day。



〃Good　society　I　avoid　as　much　as　possible；　I　prefer　my　own　company。　So　I

have　seen　no　one；　I　did　not　respond　to　the　principal's　invitation　to　make

the　official　round　of　visits。〃　（4/8。）



When　obliged　to　accept　some　invitation；　apart　from　occasions　of　too　great

solemnity；　when　he　was　really　constrained　to　dress