fabre, poet of science-第16节

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Why　was　he　drawn　by　preference　to　this　village　of　Sérignan？for　he　did　not

go　thither　without　making　some　inquiries　as　to　the　possibility　of　obtaining

shelter　elsewhere；　and　the　Carpentras　cemetery　had　tempted　him　also；　but

what　had　particularly　seduced　and　drawn　him　thither　was　the　nearness　of　the

mountain　with　its　Mediterranean　flora；　so　rich　that　it　recalled　the

Corsican　maquis；　full　of　beautiful　fungi　and　varied　insects；　where；　under

the　flat　stones　exposed　to　the　burning　sun；　the　centipede　burrowed　and　the

scorpion　slept；　where　a　special　fauna　aboundedof　curious　dung…beetles；

scarabaei；　the　Copris；　the　Minotaur；　etc。which　only　a　little　farther

north　grow　rapidly　scarcer　and　then　altogether　disappear。



He　had　thus　at　last　arrived　in　port；　he　had　found　his　〃Eden。〃



He　had　realized；　〃after　forty　years　of　desperate　struggles；〃　the　dearest；

the　most　ardent；　the　longest　cherished　of　all　his　desires。　He　could　observe

at　leisure　〃every　day；　every　hour；〃　his　beloved　insects；　〃under　the　blue

sky；　to　the　music　of　the　cigales。〃　He　had　only　to　open　his　eyes　and　to　see；

to　lend　an　ear　and　hear；　to　enjoy　the　great　blessing　of　leisure　to　his

heart's　content。



Doffing　the　professor's　frock…coat　for　the　peasant's　blouse；　planting　a

root　of　sweet　basil　in　his　〃topper；〃　and　finally　kicking　it　to　pieces；　he

snapped　his　fingers　at　his　past　life。



Liberated　at　last；　far　from　all　that　could　irritate　or　disturb　him　or　make

him　feel　dependent；　satisfied　with　his　modest　earnings；　reassured　by　the

ever…increasing　popularity　of　his　little　books；　he　had　obtained　entire

possession　of　his　own　body　and　mind；　and　could　give　himself　without　reserve

to　his　favourite　subjects。



So；　with　Nature　and　her　inexhaustible　book　before　him；　he　truly　commenced　a

new　life。



But　would　this　life　have　been　possible　without　the　support　and　comfort　of

those　intimate　feelings　which　are　at　the　root　of　human　nature？　Man　is

seldom　the　master　of　these　feelings；　and　they；　with　reason　or　despite

reason；　force　themselves　on　his　notice　as　the　question　of　questions。



This　delicate　problem　Fabre　had　to　resolve　after　suffering　a　fresh　grief。

Hardly　had　he　commenced　to　enjoy　the　benefits　of　this　profound　peace；　when

he　lost　his　wife。　At　this　moment　his　children　were　already　grown　up；　some

were　married　and　some　ready　to　leave　him；　and　he　could　not　hope　much　longer

to　keep　his　old　father；　the　ex…café…keeper　of　Pierrelatte；　who　had　come　to

rejoin　him；　and　who　might　be　seen；　even　in　his　extreme　old　age；　going　forth

in　all　weathers　and　dragging　his　aged　limbs　along　all　the　roads　of

Sérignan。　（6/5。）　The　son；　moreover；　had　inherited　from　his　father　his

profound　inaptitude　for　the　practical　business　of　life；　and　was　equally

incapable　of　managing　his　interests　and　the　economics　of　the　house。　This　is

why；　after　two　years　of　widowerhood；　having　already　passed　his　sixtieth

year；　although　still　physically　quite　youthful；　he　remarried。　Careless　of

opinion；　obeying　only　the　dictates　of　his　own　heart　and　mind；　and　following

also　the　intuitions　of　unerring　instinct；　which　was　superior　to　the

understanding　of　those　who　thought　it　their　duty　to　oppose　him；　he　married；

as　Boaz　married　Ruth；　a　young　woman；　industrious；　full　of　freshness　and

life；　already　completely　devoted　to　his　service；　and　admirably　fitted　to

satisfy　that　craving　for　order；　peace；　quiet；　and　moral　tranquillity；　which

to　him　were　above　all　things　indispensable。



His　new　companion；　moreover；　was　in　all　things　faithful　to　her　mission；　and

it　was　thanks　to　the　benefits　of　this　union；　as　the　future　was　to　show；

that　Fabre　was　in　a　position　to　pursue　his　long…delayed　inquiries。



Three　children；　a　son　and　two　daughters；　were　born　in　swift　succession；　and

reconstituted　〃the　family；〃　which　was　very　soon　increased　by　the　youngest

of　his　daughters　by　his　first　wife；　who　had　not　married；　this　was　that

Agla？；　who　so　often　helped　her　father　with　her　childlike　attentions；　and；

〃her　cheek　blooming　with　animation；〃　collaborated　in　some　of　his　most

famous　observations　（6/6。）；　an　unobtrusive　figure；　a　soul　full　of　devotion

and　resignation；　heroic　and　tender。　Having　in　vain　ventured　into　the　world；

she　had　returned　to　the　beloved　roof　at　Sérignan；　unable　to　part　from　the

father　she　so　admired　and　adored。



Later；　when　the　shadow　of　age　grew　denser　and　heavier；　the　young　wife　and

the　younger　children　of　the　famous　poet…entomologist　took　part　in　his

labours　also；　they　gave　him　their　material　assistance；　their　hands；　their

eyes；　their　hearing；　their　feet；　he　in　the　midst　of　them　was　the

conceiving；　reasoning；　interpreting；　and　directing　brain。



》From　this　time　forward　the　biography　of　Fabre　becomes　simplified；　and

remains　a　statement　of　his　inner　life。　For　thirty　years　he　never　emerged

from　his　horizon　of　mountains　and　his　garden　of　shingle；　he　lived　wholly

absorbed　in　domestic　affections　and　the　tasks　of　a　naturalist。　None　the

less；　he　still　exercised　his　vocation　as　teacher；　for　neither　pure　science

nor　poetry　was　sufficient　to　nourish　his　mind；　and　he　was　still　Professor

Fabre；　untiringly　pursuing　his　programme　of　education；　although　no　longer

applying　himself　thereto　exclusively。



This　long　active　period　was　also　the　most　silent　period　of　his　life；

although　not　an　hour；　not　a　minute　of　his　many　days　was　left　unoccupied。



In　the　first　few　months　at　his　new　home　he　resumed　his　hymn　to　labour。



〃You　will　learn　in　your　turn；〃　he　writes　to　his　son　émile；　〃you　will　learn；

I　hope；　that　we　are　never　so　happy　as　when　work　does　not　leave　us　a

moment's　repose。　To　act　is　to　live。〃　（6/7。）



The　better　to　belong　to　himself；　he　eluded　all　invitations；　even　those　from

his　nearest　or　most　intimate　friends；　he　hated　to　go　away　even　for　a　few

hours；　preferring　to　enjoy　in　his　own　house　their　presence　amidst　his

habitual　and　delightful　surroundings。　Everything　in　this　still　unexplored

country　was　new　to　him。　What　would　he　do　elsewhere；　even　in　his　beloved

Carpentras；　whither　his　faithful　friend　and　pupil　Devillario；　who　had

formerly　followed　him　in　his　walks　around　Avignon；　would　endeavour　from

time　to　time　to　draw　him？　Devillario　was　a　magistrate；　a　collector　and

palaeontologist；　his　simple　tastes；　his　wide　culture；　and　his　passion　for

natural　history　would　surely　have　decided　Fabre　to　accept　his　invitations；

but　that　he　forbade　himself　the　pleasure。　〃I　am　afraid　the　hospitable

cutlet　that　awaits　me　at　your　table　will　have　time　to　grow　cold；　I　am　up　to

the　neck　in　my　work　（6/8。）。。。But　you；　when　you　can；　escape　from　your

courts；　and　we　will　philosophize　at　random；　as　is　our　custom　when　we　can

manage　to　pass　a　few　hours　together。　As　for　me；　it　is　very　doubtful　whether

the　temptation　will　seize　me　to　come　to　Carpentras。　A　hermit　of　the　Theba？d

was　no　more　diligent　in　his　cell　than　I　in　my　village　home。〃　（6/9。）





CHAPTER　7。　THE　INTERPRETATION　OF　NATURE。



Was　there　not　indeed　a　sufficiency　of　captivating　matters　all　about　him；

and　beneath　his　very　feet？



In　his　deep；　sunny　garden　a　thousand　insects　fly；　creep；　crawl；　and　hum；

and　each　relates　its　history　to　him。　A　golden　gardener…beetle　trots　along

the　path。　Rose…beetles　pass；　in　snoring　flight；　on　every　hand；　the　gold　and

emerald　of　their　elytra　gleaming；　now　and　again　one　of　them　alights　for　a

moment　on　the　flowering　head　of　a　thistle；　he　seizes　it　carefully　with　the

tips　of　his　nervous；　pointed　fingers；　seems　to　caress　it；　speaks　to　it；　and

then　suddenly　restores　it　to　freedom。



Wasps　are　pillaging　the　centauries。　On　the　blossoms　of　the　camomile　the

larvae　of　the　Melo？　are　waiting　for　the　Anthophorae　to　carry　them　off　to

their　cells；　while　around　them　roam　the　Cicindelae；　their　green　bodies

〃spotted　with　points　of　amaranth。〃　At　the　bottom　of　the　walls　〃the　chilly

Psyche　creeps　slowly　along　under　her　cloak　of　tiny　twigs。〃　In　the　dead

bough　of　a　lilac…tree　the　dark…hued　Xylocopa；　the　wood…boring　bee；　is　busy

tunnelling　her　gallery。　In　the　shade　of　the　rushes　the　Praying　Mantis；

rustling　the　floating　robe　of　her　long　tender　green　wings；　〃gazes　alertly；

on　the　watch；　her　arms　folded　on　her　breast；　her　appearance　that　of　one

praying；〃　and　paralyses　the　great　grey　locust；　nailed　to　its　place　by　fear。



Nothing　here　is　insignificant；　what　the　world　would　smile　at　or　deride　will

provide　the　sage　with　food　for　thought　and　reflection。　〃Nothing　is　trivial

in　the　majestic　problem　of　nature；　our　laboratory　acquaria　are　of　less

value　than　the　imprint　which　the　shoe　of　a　mule　has　left　in　the　clay；　when

the　rain　has　filled　the　primitive　basin；　and　life　has　peopled　it　with

marvels〃；　and　the　least　fact　offered　us　by　chance　on　the　most　thoroughly

beaten　track　may　possibly　open　prospects　as　vast　as　all　the　starry　sky。



Tell　yourself　that　everything　in　nature　is　a　symbol　of　something　like　a

specimen　of　an　abstruse　cryptogram；　all　the　characters　of　which　conceal

some　meaning。　But　when　we　have　succeeded　in　decipheri