fabre, poet of science-第13节

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conscience　of　the　debtor！



Scarcely　two　years　later　Mill　died　suddenly　at　Avignon。　Grief　finally

killed　him；　for　this　unexpected　death　seemed　to　have　been　only　the　ultimate

climax　of　the　secret　malady　which　had　so　long　been　undermining　him。



It　was　in　the　outskirts　of　Orange　that　Fabre　for　the　last　time　met　him　and

accompanied　him　upon　a　botanizing　expedition。　He　was　struck　by　his　weakness

and　his　rapid　decline。　Mill　could　hardly　drag　himself　along；　and　when　he

stooped　to　gather　a　specimen　he　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　rising。　They

were　never　to　meet　again。



A　few　days　lateron　the　8th　May；　1873Fabre　was　invited　to　lunch　with　the

philosopher。　Before　going　to　the　little　house　by　the　cemetery　he　halted；　as

was　his　custom；　at　the　Libraire　Saint…Just。　It　was　there　that　he　learned；

with　amazement；　of　the　tragic　and　sudden　event　which　set　a　so　unexpected

term　to　a　friendship　which　was　doubtless　a　little　remote；　but　which　was；　on

both　sides；　a　singularly　lofty　and　beautiful　attachment。



His　class…books　were　now　bringing　in　scarcely　anything；　their　preparation；

moreover；　involved　an　excessive　expenditure　of　time；　and　gave　him　a　great

deal　of　trouble；　it　is　impossible　to　imagine　what　scrupulous　care；　what

zeal　and　self…respect　Fabre　brought　to　the　execution　of　the　programme　which

he　had　to　fulfil。



To　begin　with；　he　considered　that　he　could　not　enjoy　a　more　splendid

opportunity　to　give　children　a　taste　for　science　and　to　stimulate　their

curiosity　than　by　finding　a　means　to　interest　them；　from　their　earliest

infancy；　in　their　simple　playthings；　even　the　crudest　and　most　inexpensive；

so　true　is　it　that　〃in　the　smallest　mechanical　device　or　engine；　even　in

its　simplest　form；　as　conceived　by　the　industry　of　a　child；　there　is　often

the　germ　of　important　truths；　and；　better　than　books；　the　school　of　the

playroom；　if　gently　disciplined；　will　open　for　the　child　the　windows　of　the

universe。〃



〃The　humble　teetotum；　made　of　a　crust　of　rye…bread　transfixed　by　a　twig；

silently　spinning　on　the　cover　of　a　school…book；　will　give　a　correct　enough

image　of　the　earth；　which　retains　unmoved　its　original　impulse；　and　travels

along　a　great　circle；　at　the　same　time　turning　on　itself。　Gummed　on　its

disc；　scraps　of　paper　properly　coloured　will　tell　us　of　white　light；

decomposable　into　various　coloured　rays。。。



〃There　will　be　the　pop…gun；　with　its　ramrod　and　its　two　plugs　of　tow；　the

hinder　one　expelling　the　foremost　by　the　elasticity　of　the　compressed　air。

Thus　we　get　a　glimpse　of　the　ballistics　of　gunpowder；　and　the　pressure　of

steam　in　engines。。。〃



The　little　hydraulic　fountain　made　of　an　apricot　stone；　patiently　hollowed

and　pierced　with　a　hole　at　either　side；　into　which　two　straws　are　fitted；

one　dipping　into　a　cup　of　water　and　the　other　duly　capped；　〃expelling　a

slender　thread　of　water　in　which　the　sunlight　flickers；〃　will　introduce　us

to　the　true　syphon　of　physics。



〃What　amusing　and　useful　lessons〃　a　well…balanced　scheme　of　education　might

extract　from　this　〃academy　of　childish　ingenuity〃！　（5/6。）



At　this　time　he　was　undertaking　the　education　of　his　own　children。　His

chemistry　lessons　especially　had　a　great　success。　（5/7。）　With　apparatus　of

his　own　devising　and　of　the　simplest　kind；　he　could　perform　a　host　of

elementary　experiments；　the　apparatus　as　a　rule　consisting　of　the　most

ordinary　materials；　such　as　a　common　flask　or　bottle；　an　old　mustard…pot；　a

tumbler；　a　goose…quill　or　a　pipe…stem。



A　series　of　astonishing　phenomena　amazed　their　wondering　eyes。　He　made　them

see；　touch；　taste；　handle；　and　smell；　and　always　〃the　hand　assisted　the

word；〃　always　〃the　example　accompanied　the　precept；〃　for　no　one　more　fully

valued　the　profound　maxim；　so　neglected　and　misunderstood；　that　〃to　see　is

to　know。〃



He　exerted　himself　to　arouse　their　curiosity；　to　provoke　their　questions；

to　discover　their　mistakes；　to　set　their　ideas　in　order；　he　accustomed　them

to　rectify　their　errors　themselves；　and　from　all　this　he　obtained　excellent

material　for　his　books。



For　those　more　especially　intended　for　the　education　of　girls　he　took

counsel　with　his　daughter　Antonia；　inviting　her　collaboration；　begging　her

to　suggest　every　aspect　of　the　matter　that　occurred　to　her；　for　instance；

in　respect　of　the　chemistry　of　the　household；　〃where　exact　science　should

shed　its　light　upon　a　host　of　facts　relating　to　domestic　economy〃　（5/8。）；

from　the　washing　of　clothes　to　the　making　of　a　stew。



Even　now；　to　his　despair；　although　freed　from　the　cares　of　school　life；　he

was　always　almost　wholly　without　leisure　to　devote　himself　to　his　chosen

subjects。



It　was　at　this　period　above　all　that　he　felt　so　〃lonely；　abandoned；

struggling　against　misfortune；　and　before　one　can　philosophize　one　has　to

live。〃　（5/9。）



And　his　incessant　labour　was　aggravated　by　a　bitter　disappointment。　In　the

year　of　Mill's　death　Fabre　was　dismissed　from　his　post　as　conservator　of

the　Requien　Museum；　which　he　had　held　in　spite　of　his　departure　from

Avignon；　going　thither　regularly　twice　a　week　to　acquit　himself　of　his

duties。　The　municipality；　working　in　the　dark；　suddenly　dismissed　him

without　explanation。　To　Fabre　this　dismissal　was　infinitely　bitter；　〃a

sweeper…boy　would　have　been　treated　with　as　much　ceremony。〃　（5/10。）　What

afflicted　him　most　was　not　the　undeserved　slight　of　the　dismissal；　but　his

unspeakable　regret　at　quitting　those　beloved　vegetable　collections；

〃amassed　with　such　love〃　by　Requien；　who　was　his　friend　and　master；　and　by

Mill　and　himself；　and　the　thought　that　he　would　henceforth　perhaps　be

unable　to　save　these　precious　but　perishable　things　from　oblivion；　or

terminate　the　botanical　geography　of　Vaucluse；　on　which　he　had　been　thirty

years　at　work！



For　this　reason；　when　there　was　some　talk　of　establishing　an　agronomic

station　at　Avignon；　and　of　appointing　him　director；　he　was　at　first　warmly

in　favour　of　the　idea。　（5/11。）　Already　he　foresaw　a　host　of　fascinating

experiments；　of　the　highest　practical　value；　conducted　in　the　peace　and

leisure　and　security　of　a　fixed　appointment。　It　is　indeed　probable　that　in

so　vast　a　field　he　would　have　demonstrated　many　valuable　truths；　fruitful

in　practical　results；　he　was　certainly　meant　for　such　a　task；　and　he　would

have　performed　it　with　genuine　personal　satisfaction。　He　had　already

exerted　his　ingenuity　by　trying　to　develop；　among　the　children　of　the

countryside；　a　taste　for　agriculture；　which　he　rightly　considered　the

logical　complement　of　the　primary　school；　and　which　is　based　upon　all　the

sciences　which　he　himself　had　studied；　probed；　taught；　and　popularized。



It　will　be　remembered　how　patiently　he　devoted　himself　for　twelve　years　to

the　study　of　madder；　multiplying　his　researches；　and　applying　himself　not

only　to　extracting　the　colouring　principle；　but　also　to　indicating　means

whereby　adulteration　and　fraud　might　be　detected。



He　had　published　memoirs　of　great　importance　dealing　with　entomology　in　its

relations　to　agriculture。　Impressed　with　the　importance　of　this　little

world；　he　suggested　valuable　remedies；　means　of　preservation；　which　were

all　the　more　logical　in　that　the　destruction　of　insects；　if　it　is　to　be

efficacious；　must　be　based　not　upon　a　gross　empiricism；　but　on　a　previous

study　of　their　social　life　and　their　habits。



With　what　patience　he　observed　the　terribly　destructive　weevils；　and　those

formidable　moths　with　downy　wings；　which　fly　without　sound　of　a　night；　and

whose　depredations　have　often　been　valued　at　millions　of　francs！　How

meticulously　he　has　recorded　the　conditions　which　favour　or　check　the

development　of　those　parasitic　fungi　whose　mortal　blemishes　are　seen　on

buds　and　flowers；　on　the　green　shoots　and　clusters　that　promise　a

prosperous　vintage！



But　then　he　became　anxious。　Was　it　all　worth　the　sacrifice　of　his　liberty？

〃Would　he　not　suffer　a　thousand　annoyances　from　pretentious　nobodies？〃　for

as　things　were；　all　ideas　of　again　〃enregimenting〃　himself　〃filled　him　with

horror。〃　（5/12。）



Slowly；　however；　the　first　instalment　of　the　work　which　he　had　spent　nearly

twenty…five　years　in　planning；　creating；　and　polishing；　began　to　take

shape。　At　the　end　of　the　year　1878　he　was　able　to　assemble　a　sufficient

number　of　studies　to　form　material　for　what　was　to　be　the　first　volume　of

his　〃Souvenirs　entomologiques。〃　（A　selection　of　which　forms　〃Social　Life　in

the　Insect　World〃　（T。　Fisher　Unwin；　1912）。）



Let　us　stop　for　a　moment　to　consider　this　first　book；　whose　publication

constitutes　a　truly　historical　date；　not　only　in　the　career　of　Fabre；　but

in　the　annals　of　universal　science。　It　was　at　once　the　foundation　and　the

keystone　of　the　marvellous　edifice　which　we　shall　watch　unfolding　and

increasing；　but　to　which　the　future　was　in　reality　to　add　nothing

essential。　The　cardinal　ideas　as　to　instinct　and　evolution；　the　necessity

of　experimenting　in　the　psychology　of　animals；　and　the　harmonic　laws　of　the