fabre, poet of science-第8章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



inherited　this　from　his　mother；　a　rebellious；　crotchety；　somewhat　fantastic

person；　by　whose　temper　he　himself　had　suffered。



But　the　young　people　who　surrounded　him　were　far　from　being　upset　by　these

contrasts　of　temperament；　in　which　they　themselves　saw　nothing　but　natural

annoyance；　and　the　corollary；　as　it　were；　of　his　abounding　vitality。

（4/19。）



It　was　because　he　was　the　only　university　teacher　in　Avignon　to　occupy

himself　with　entomology　that　Pasteur　visited　him　in　1865。　The　illustrious

chemist　had　been　striving　to　check　the　plague　that　was　devastating　the

silkworm　nurseries；　and　as　he　knew　nothing　of　the　subject　which　he　proposed

to　study；　not　even　understanding　the　constitution　of　the　cocoon　or　the

evolution　of　the　silkworm；　he　sought　out　Fabre　in　order　to　obtain　from　his

store　of　entomological　wisdom　the　elementary　ideas　which　he　would　find

indispensable。　Fabre　has　told　us；　in　a　moving　page　（4/20）；　with　what　a

total　lack　of　comprehension　of　〃poverty　in　a　black　coat〃　the　great

scientist　gazed　at　his　poor　home。　Preoccupied　by　another　problem；　that　of

the　amelioration　of　wines　by　means　of　heat；　Pasteur　asked　him　point…blank

him；　the　humble　proletarian　of　the　university　caste；　who　drank　only　the

cheapest　wine　of　the　countryto　show　him　his　cellar。　〃My　cellar！　Why　not

my　vaults；　my　dusty　bottles；　labelled　according　to　age　and　vintage！　But

Pasteur　insisted。　Then；　pointing　with　my　finger；　I　showed　him；　in　a　corner

of　the　kitchen；　a　chair　with　all　the　straw　gone；　and　on　this　chair　a　two…

gallon　demijohn：　'There　is　my　cave；　monsieur！'〃



If　the　country　professor　was　embarrassed　by　the　chilliness　of　the　other；　he

was　none　the　less　shocked　by　his　attitude。　It　would　seem；　from　what　Fabre

has　said；　that　Pasteur　treated　him　with　a　hauteur　which　was　slightly

disdainful。　The　ignorant　genius　questioned　his　humble　colleague；　distantly

giving　him　his　orders；　explaining　his　plans　and　his　ideas；　and　informing

him　in　what　directions　he　required　assistance。



After　this；　we　cannot　be　surprised　if　the　naturalist　was　silent。　How　could

sympathetic　relations　have　survived　this　first　meeting？　Fabre　could　not

forgive　it。　His　own　character　was　too　independent　to　accommodate　itself　to

Pasteur's。　Yet　never；　perhaps；　were　two　men　made　for　a　better

understanding。　They　were　equally　expert　in　exercising　their　admirable

powers　of　vision　in　the　vast　field　of　nature；　equally　critical　of　self；

equally　careful　never　to　depart　from　the　strict　limits　of　the　facts；　and

they　were；　one　may　say；　equally　eminent　in　the　domain　of　invention；

different　though　their　fortunes　may　have　been；　for　the　sublimity　of

scientific　discoveries；　however　full　of　genius　they　may　be；　is　often

measured　only　by　the　immediate　consequences　drawn　therefrom　and　the

practical　importance　of　their　results。



In　reality；　were　they　not　two　rivals；　worthy　of　being　placed　side　by　side

in　the　paradise　of　sages？　Both　of　them；　the　one　by　demolishing　the　theory

of　spontaneous　generation；　the　other　by　refuting　the　mechanical　theory　of

the　origin　of　instincts；　have　brought　into　due　prominence　the　great　unknown

and　mysterious　forces　which　seem　destined　to　hold　eternally　in　suspense　the

profound　enigma　of　life。



Now　he　was　anxious　not　to　leave　the　Vaucluse　district；　the　scene　of　his

first　success；　and　a　place　so　fruitful　in　subjects　of　study。　He　wished　to

remain　close　to　his　insects；　and　also　near　the　precious　library　and　the

rich　collections　which　Requien　had　left　by　will　to　the　town　of　Avignon。　In

spite　of　the　meagreness　of　his　salary；　he　asked　for　nothing　more；　and；　what

is　more；　by　an　inconsequence　which　is　by　no　means　incomprehensible；　he

avoided　everything　that　might　have　resulted　in　a　more　profitable　position

elsewhere；　and　evaded　all　proposals　of　further　promotion。　Twice；　at

Poitiers　and　Marseilles；　he　refused　a　post　as　assistant　professor；　not

regarding　the　advantages　sufficient　to　balance　the　expenses　of　removal。

（4/21。）



It　is　true　that　his　modest　position　was　slightly　improved；　at　the　lycée　he

had　just　been　appointed　drawing…master；　thanks　to　his　knowledge　of　design；

for　he　could　drawindeed；　what　could　he　not　do？　The　city；　on　the　other

hand；　appointed　him　conservator　of　the　Requien　Museum；　and　presently

municipal　lecturer；　so　that　his　earnings　were　increased　by　48　pounds

sterling　per　annum；　and　he　was　at　last　able　to　abandon　〃those　abominable

private　lessons〃　（4/22。）；　which　the　insufficiency　of　his　income　had

hitherto　forced　him　to　accept。　These　new　duties；　which　naturally　demanded

much　time　and　much　labour；　kept　him　almost　as　badly　tied　as　he　had　been

before。



To　be　rich　enough　to　set　himself　free；　to　be　master　of　all　his　time；　to　be

able　to　devote　himself　entirely　to　his　chosen　work：　this　was　his　dream；　his

constant　preoccupation：　it　haunted　him；　it　was　a　fixed　idea。



Such　was　the　principal　motive　of　his　inquiry　into　the　properties　of　madder；

the　colouring　principle　of　which　he　succeeded　in　extracting　directly；　by　a

perfectly　simple　method；　which　for　a　time　very　advantageously　replaced　the

extremely　primitive　methods　of　the　old　dyers；　who　used　a　simple　extract　of

madder；　a　crude　preparation　which　necessitated　long　and　expensive

manipulations。　（4/23。）



He　had　been　working　at　this　for　eight　years　when　Victor　Duruy；　Minister　of

Public　Instruction　and　Grand　Master　of　the　University；　came　to　surprise　him

in　his　laboratory　at　Saint…Martial；　in　the　full　fever　of　research。　Whatever

was　Duruy's　idea　in　entering　into　relations　with　him；　it　seems　that　from

their　first　meeting　the　two　men　were　really　taken　with　one　another：　there

were；　between　them；　so　many　close　affinities　of　taste　and　character。　Duruy

found　in　Fabre　a　man　of　his　own　temper；　for　his；　like　Fabre's；　was　a　modest

and　simple　nature。　Both　came　of　the　people；　and　the　principal　motive　of

each　was　the　same　ideal　of　work；　emancipation；　and　progress。



A　little　later　Duruy　summoned　the　modest　sage　of　Avignon　to　Paris；　with

particular　insistence；　he　was　full　of　attentions　and　of　forethought；　and

made　him　there　and　then　a　chevalier　of　the　Legion　of　Honour；　a　distinction

of　which　Fabre　was　far　from　being　proud；　and　which　he　was　careful　never　to

obtrude；　but　he　nevertheless　always　thought　of　it　with　a　certain

tenderness；　as　a　beloved　〃relic〃　in　memory　of　this　illustrious　friend。



On　the　following　day　the　naturalist　was　conveyed　to　the　Tuileries　to　be

presented　to　the　Emperor。　You　must　not　suppose　that　he　was　in　the　least

disturbed　at　the　idea　of　finding　himself　face　to　face　with　royalty。　In　the

presence　of　all　these　bedizened　folk；　in　his　coat　of　a　cut　which　was

doubtless　already　superannuated；　he　cared　little　for　the　impression　he

might　produce。　As　good　an　observer　of　men　as　of　beasts；　he　gazed　quietly

about　him；　he　exchanged　a　few　words　with　the　Emperor；　who　was　〃quite

simple；〃　almost　suppressed；　his　eyes　always　half…closed；　he　watched　the

coming　and　going　of　〃the　chamberlains　with　short　breeches　and　silver…

buckled　shoes；　great　scarabaei；　clad　with　café　au　lait　wing…cases；　moving

with　a　formal　gait。〃　Already　he　sighed　regretfully；　he　was　bored；　he　was　on

the　rack；　and　for　nothing　in　the　world　would　he　have　repeated　the

experience。　He　did　not　even　feel　the　least　desire　to　visit　the　vaunted

collections　of　the　Museum。　He　longed　to　return；　to　find　himself　once　more

among　his　dear　insects；　to　see　his　grey　olive…trees；　full　of　the　frolicsome

cicadae；　his　wastes　and　commons；　which　smelt　so　sweet　of　thyme　and　cypress；

above　all；　to　return　to　his　furnace　and　retorts；　in　order　to　complete　his

discovery　as　quickly　as　possible。



But　others　profited　by　his　happy　conceptions。　Like　the　cicada；　the　Cigale

of　his　fable　（See　〃Social　Life　in　the　Insect　World；〃　by　Jean…Henri　Fabre

（T。　Fisher　Unwin；　1912）。）；　which　makes　a　〃honeyed　reek〃　flow　from



　　　　〃the　bark

Tender　and　juicy；　of　the　bough；〃



on　which　it　is　quickly　supplanted　by



〃Fly；　drone；　wasp；　beetle　too　with　hornèd　head〃　（4/24。）；　



who



〃Now　lick　their　honey'd　lips；　and　feed　at　leisure；〃



so；　after　he　had　painfully　laboured　for　twelve　years　in　his　well；　he　saw

others；　more　cunning　than　he；　come　to　his　perch；　who　by　dint　of　〃stamping

on　his　toe；〃　succeeded　in　ousting　him。　Pending　the　appearance　of　artificial

alizarine；　which　was　presently　to　turn　the　whole　madder　industry　upside

down；　these　more　sophisticated　persons　were　able　to　benefit　at　leisure　by

the　ingenious　processes　discovered　by　Fabre；　so　that　the　practical　result

of　so　much　assiduity；　so　much　patient　research；　was　absolutely　nil；　and　he

found　himself　as　poor　as　ever。



So　faded　his　dream：　and；　if　we　except　his　domestic　griefs；　this　was

certainly　the　deepest　and　cruellest　disappointment　he　had　ever　experienced。



Thenceforth　he　saw　his　salvation　only　in　the　writing　of　textbooks；　which

were　at　last　to　throw　open　the　door　of　freedom。　Already　he　had　set　to　work；

under　the　powerful　stimulus　of　Duruy；　preoccupied　as　he　always　was　by　his

incessant　desire　for　freedom。　The　first　rudiments　of　his　〃Agricultural

Chemistry；〃　which　sounded　so　fresh　a　note　in　the　matter　of　teaching；　had

given　an　instance　and　a　measure　of　his　capabilities。



But　he　did　not　seriously　devote　himself　to　this　project　until　after　the

industrial　failure　and　the　distressing　miscarriage　of　his　madder　process；

and　not　until　he　had　been　previously　assured　of　the　co…operation　of　Charles

Delagrave；　a　young　publisher；　whose　fortunate　intervention　contributed　in

no　small　degree　to　his　deliverance。　Confident　in　his　vast　powers　of　work；

and　divining　his　incomparable　talent　as　POPULARIZER；　Delagrave　felt　that　he

could　promise　Fabre　that　he　would　never　leave　him　without　work；　and　this

promise　was　all　the　more　comforting；　in　that　the　University；　despite　his

twenty…eight　years　of　assiduous　service；　would　not　accord　him　the　smallest

pension。



Victor　Duruy　was　the　great　restorer　of　education　in　France；　from　elementary

and　primary　education；　which　should　date；　from　his　great　ministry；　the　era

of　its　deliverance；　to　the　secondary　education　which　he　himself　created　in

every　part。　He　was　also　the　real　initiator　of　secular　instruction　in

France；　and　the　Third　Republic　has　done　little　but　resume　his　work；　develop

his　ideas；　and　extend　his　programme。　Finally；　by　instituting　classes　for

adults；　the　evening　classes　which　enabled　workmen；　peasants；　bourgeois；　and

young　women　to　fill　the　gaps　in　their　education；　he　gave　reality　to　the

generous　and　fruitful　idea　that　it　is　possible　for　all　to　divide　life　into

two　parts；　one　having　for　its　object　our　material　needs　and　our　daily

bread；　and　the　other　consecrated　to　the　spiritual　life　and　the　delights　of

the　Ideal。



At　the　same　time　he　emancipated　the　young　women　of　France；　formerly　under

the　exclusive　tutelage　of　the　clergy；　and　opened　to　them　for　the　first　time

the　golden　gates　of　knowledge；　an　audacious　innovation；　and　formidable

withal；　for　it