fabre, poet of science-第7章

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

solemnity；　when　he　was　really　constrained　to　dress　himself　in　the　complete

livery　of　circumstance　and　ceremony；　he　remained　faithful　to　his　black　felt

hat；　which　made　a　blot　among　all　the　carefully　polished　〃toppers〃　of　his

colleagues。　He　was　called　to　order；　he　was　reprimanded；　he　obeyed

unwillingly；　or　worse；　he　resisted；　he　revolted；　and　threatened　to　send　in

his　resignation。　To　pay　court　to　people；　to　endeavour　to　make　himself

pleasant；　to　grovel　before　a　superior；　were　to　him　impossibilities。　He

could　neither　solicit；　nor　sail　with　the　wind；　nor　force　himself　on　others；

nor　even　make　use　of　his　relations。



However；　when　he　went　to　Paris　to　take　his　doctor's　degree　in　natural

sciences；　he　did　not　forget　Moquin…Tandon；　who　had　formerly；　in　Corsica；

revealed　to　him　the　nature　of　biology；　and　whom　he　himself　had　received　and

entertained　in　his　humble　home。



The　ex…professor　of　Toulouse；　who　was　now　eminent　in　his　speciality；

occupied　the　chair　of　natural　history　in　the　faculty　of　medicine　in　Paris。

What　better　occasion　could　he　wish　of　introducing　himself　to　a　highly

placed　official？　Fabre　had　formerly　been　his　host；　he　could　recall　the

happy　hours　they　had　spent　together；　he　could　explain　his　plans；　and　ask

for　the　professor's　assistance！　Fate　pointed　to　him　as　a　protector。　But　if

Fabre　had　been　capable　of　climbing　the　professor's　stairs　with　some　such

ambitious　desires；　he　would　quickly　have　been　disabused。



The　〃dear　master〃　had　long　ago　forgotten　the　little　professor　of　Ajaccio；

and　his　welcome　was　by　no　means　such　as　Fabre　had　the　right　to　expect。　Far

from　insisting；　he　was　disheartened；　perhaps　a　little　humiliated；　and

hastened　to　take　his　leave。



The　theses　which　Fabre　brought　with　him；　and　which；　he　had　thought；　ought

to　lead　him　one　day　to　a　university　professorship；　did　not；　as　a　matter　of

fact；　contain　anything　very　essentially　original。



He　had　been　attracted；　indeed　fascinated；　by　all　the　singularities

presented　by　the　strange　family　of　the　orchids；　the　asymmetry　of　their

blossoms；　the　unusual　structure　of　their　pollen；　and　their　innumerable

seeds；　but　as　for　the　curious　rounded　and　duplicated　tubercles　which　many

of　them　bore　at　their　base；　what　precisely　were　they？　The　greatest

botanistsde　Candolle；　A。　de　Jussieuhad　perceived　in　them　nothing　more

than　roots。　Fabre　demonstrated　in　his　thesis　that　these　singular　organs　are

in　reality　merely　buds；　true　branches　or　shoots；　modified　and　disguised；

analogous　to　the　metamorphosed　tubercle　of　the　potato。　（4/9。）



He　added　also　a　curious　memoir　on　the　phosphorescence　of　the　agaric　of　the

olive…tree；　a　phenomenon　to　which　he　was　to　return　at　a　later　date。



In　the　field　of　zoology　his　scalpel　revealed　the　complicated　structure　of

the　reproductive　organs　of　the　Centipedes　（Millepedes）；　hitherto　so

confused　and　misunderstood；　as　also　certain　peculiarities　of　the

development　of　these　curious　creatures；　so　interesting　from　the　point　of

view　of　the　zoological　philosopher　（4/10。）；　for　he　had　become　expert　in

handling　not　only　the　magnifying　glass；　which　was　always　with　him；　but　also

the　microscope；　which　discovers　so　many　infinite　wonders　in　the　lowest

creatures；　yet　which　was　not　of　particular　service　in　any　of　the　beautiful

observations　upon　which　his　fame　is　built。



Returning　to　Avignon；　in　the　possession　of　his　new　degree；　he　commenced　an

important　task　which　took　him　nearly　twenty　years　to　complete：　a

painstaking　treatise　on　the　Sphaeriaceae　of　Vaucluse；　that　singular　family

of　fungi　which　cover　fallen　leaves　and　dead　twigs　with　their　blackish

fructifications；　a　remarkable　piece　of　work；　full　of　the　most　valuable

documentation；　as　were　the　theses　whose　subjects　I　have　just　detailed；　but

without　belittling　the　fame　of　their　author；　one　may　say　that　another；　in

his　place；　might　have　acquitted　himself　as　well。



Although　he　continued　to　undertake　researches　of　limited　interest　and

importance；　although　he　persisted　in　dissecting　plants；　and；　although　he

disliked　it；　in　〃disembowelling　animals；〃　the　fact　was　that　apart　from

Thursdays　and　Sundays　it　was　scarcely　possible　for　him　to　escape　from　his

week's　work；　hardly　possible　to　snatch　sufficient　leisure　to　undertake　the

studies　toward　which　he　felt　himself　more　particularly　drawn。　Tied　down　by

his　duties；　which　held　him　bound　to　a　discipline　that　only　left　him　brief

moments；　and　by　the　forced　hack…work　imposed　upon　him　by　the　necessity　of

earning　his　daily　bread；　he　had　scarcely　any　time　for　observation　excepting

vacations　and　holidays。



Then　he　would　hasten　to　Carpentras；　happy　to　hold　the　key　to　the　meadows；

and　wander　across　country　and　along　the　sunken　lanes；　collecting　his

beautiful　insects；　breathing　the　free　air；　the　scent　of　the　vines　and

olives；　and　gazing　upon　Mont　Ventoux；　close　at　hand；　whose　silver　summit

would　now　be　hidden　in　the　clouds　and　now　would　glitter　in　the　rays　of　the

sun。



Carpentras　was　not　merely　the　country　in　which　his　wife's　parents　dwelt：　it

was；　above　all；　a　unique　and　privileged　home　for　insects；　not　on　account　of

its　flora；　but　because　of　the　soil；　a　kind　of　limestone　mingled　with　sand

and　clay；　a　soft　marl；　in　which　the　burrowing　hymenoptera　could　easily

establish　their　burrows　and　their　nests。　Certain　of　them；　indeed；　lived

only　there；　or　at　least　it　would　have　been　extremely　difficult　to　find　them

elsewhere；　such　was　the　famous　Cerceris；　such　again；　was　the　yellow…winged

Sphex；　that　other　wasp　which　so　artistically　stabs　and　paralyses　the

cricket；　〃the　brown　violinist　of　the　clods。〃



At　Carpentras　too　the　Anthophorae　lived　in　abundance；　those　wild　bees　with

whom　the　vexed　and　enigmatic　history　of　the　Sitaris　and　the　Melo？　is　bound

up；　those　little　beetles；　cousins　of　the　Cantharides；　whose　complex

metamorphoses　and　astonishing　and　peculiar　habits　have　been　revealed　by

Fabre。　This　memoir　marked　the　second　stage　of　his　scientific　career；　and

followed；　at　an　interval　of　two　years；　the　magnificent　observations　on　the

Cerceris。



These　two　studies；　true　masterpieces　of　science；　already　constituted　two

excellent　titles　to　fame；　and　would　by　themselves　have　sufficed　to　fill　a

naturalist's　whole　lifetime　and　to　make　his　name　illustrious。



》From　that　time　forward　he　had　no　peer。　The　Institute　awarded　him　one　of　its

Montyon　prizes　（4/11。）；　〃an　honour　of　which；　needless　to　say；　he　had　never

dreamed。〃　（4/12。）　Darwin；　in　his　celebrated　work　on　the　〃Origin　of

Species；〃　which　appeared　precisely　at　this　moment；　speaks　of　Fabre

somewhere　as　〃the　inimitable　observer。〃　（4/13。）



Exploring　the　immediate　surroundings　of　Avignon；　he　very　soon　discovered

fresh　localities　frequented　almost　exclusively　by　other　insects；　whose

habits　in　their　turn　absorbed　his　whole　attention。



First　of　these　was　the　sandy　plateau　of　the　Angles；　where　every　spring；　in

the　sunlit　pastures　so　beloved　of　the　sheep；　the　Scarabaeus　sacer；　with　his

incurved　feet　and　clumsy　legs；　commences　to　roll　his　everlasting　pellet；

〃to　the　ancients　the　image　of　the　world。〃　His　history；　since　the　time　of

the　Pharaohs；　had　been　nothing　but　a　tissue　of　legends；　but　stripping　it　of

the　embroidery　of　fiction；　and　referring　it　to　the　facts　of　nature；　Fabre

demonstrated　that　the　true　story　is　even　more　marvellous　than　all　the　tales

of　ancient　Egypt。　He　narrated　its　actual　life；　the　object　of　its　task；　and

its　comical　and　exhilarating　performances。　But　such　is　the　subtlety　of

these　delicate　and　difficult　researches　that　nearly　forty　years　were

required　to　complete　the　study　of　its　habits　and　to　solve　the　mystery　of

its　cradle。　（4/14。）



On　the　right　bank　of　the　Rh？ne；　facing　the　embouchure　of　the　Durance；　is　a

small　wood　of　oak…trees；　the　wood　of　Des　Issarts。　This　again；　for　many

reasons；　was　one　of　his　favourite　spots。　There；　〃lying　flat　on　the　ground；

his　head　in　the　shadow　of　some　rabbit's　burrow；〃　or　sheltered　from　the　sun

by　a　great　umbrella；　〃while　the　blue…winged　locusts　frisked　for　joy；〃　he

would　follow　the　rapid　and　sibilant　flight　of　the　elegant　Bembex；　carrying

their　daily　ration　of　diptera　to　her　larvae；　at　the　bottom　of　her　burrow；

deep　in　the　fine　sand。〃　（4/15。）



He　did　not　always　go　thither　alone：　sometimes；　on　Sundays；　he　would　take

his　pupils　with　him；　to　spend　a　morning　in　the　fields；　〃at　the　ineffable

festival　of　the　awakening　of　life　in　the　spring。〃　（4/16。）



Those　most　dear　to　him；　those　who　in　the　subsequent　years　have　remained　the

object　of　a　special　affection；　were　Devillario；　Bordone；　and　Vayssières

（4/17。）；　〃young　people　with　warm　hearts　and　smiling　imaginations；

overflowing　with　that　springtime　sap　of　life　which　makes　us　so　expansive

and　so　eager　to　know。



Among　them　he　was　〃the　eldest；　their　master；　but　still　more　their　companion

and　friend〃；　lighting　in　them　his　own　sacred　fire；　and　amazing　them　by　the

deftness　of　his　fingers　and　the　acuteness　of　his　lynx…like　eyes。　Furnished

with　a　notebook　and　all　the　tools　of　the　naturalistlens；　net；　and　little

boxes　of　sawdust　steeped　in　anaesthetic　for　the　capture　of　rare　specimens

they　would　wander　〃along　the　paths　bordered　with　hawthorn　and　hyaebla；

simple　and　childlike　folk；〃　probing　the　bushes；　scratching　up　the　sand；

raising　stones；　running　the　net　along　hedge　and　meadow；　with　explosions　of

delight　when　they　made　some　splendid　capture　or　discovered　some　unrecorded

marvel　of　the　entomological　world。



It　was　not　only　on　the　banks　of　the　Rh？ne　or　the　sandy　plateau　of　Avignon

that　they　sought　adventure　thus；　〃discussing　things　and　other　things；〃　but

as　far　as　the　slopes　of　Mont　Ventoux；　for　which　Fabre　had　always　felt　an

inexplicable　and　invincible　attraction；　and　whose　ascent　he　accomplished

more　than　twenty　times；　so　that　at　last　he　knew　all　its　secrets；　all　the

gamut　of　its　vegetation；　the　wealth　of　the　varied　flora　which　climb　its

flanks　from　base　to　summit；　and　which　range　〃from　the　scarlet　flowers　of

the　pomegranate　to　the　violet　of　Mont　Cenis　and　the　Alpine　forget…me…not〃

（4/18。）；　as　well　as　the　antediluvian　fauna　revealed　amid　its　entrails；　a

vast　ossuary　rich　in　fossils。



His　disciples；　all　of　whom；　without　exception；　regarded　him　with　absolute

worship；　have　retained　the　memory　of　his　wit；　his　enthusiasm；　his　geniality

and　his　infectious　gaiety；　and　also　of　the　singular　uncertainty　of　his

temperament；　for　on　some　days　he　would　not　speak　a　word　from　the　beginning

to　the　end　of　his　walk。



Even　his　temper；　ordinarily　gentle　and　easy；　would　suddenly　become　hasty

and　violent；　and　would　break　out　into　terrible　explosions　when　a　sudden

annoyance　set　him　beside　himself；　for　instance；　when　he　was　the　butt　of

some　ill…natured　trick；　or　when；　in　spite　of　the　lucidity　of　his

explanations；　he　felt　that　he　had　not　been　properly　understood。　Perhaps　he

inherited　this　from　his　mother；　a　rebellious；　crotchety；　som