fabre, poet of science-第36节

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and　destroys　them　by　an　eviscerating　wound。〃



At　the　centre　of　its　net；　which　seems　〃woven　of　moonbeams；〃　in　the　midst　of

its　snare；　a　glutinous　trap　of　infernal　ingenuity；　or　hidden　at　a　distance

in　its　cabin　of　green　leaves；　the　Epe？ra　fasciata　waits　and　watches　for　its

prey。　Let　the　terrible　hornet；　or　the　Libellula　auripennis；　flying　from

stem　to　stem；　fall　into　the　limed　snare；　the　insect　struggles；　endeavours

to　unwind　itself；　the　net　trembles　violently　as　though　it　would　be　torn

from　its　cables。　Immediately　the　spider　darts　forward；　running　boldly　to

the　intruder。　With　rapid　gestures　the　two　hinder　limbs　weave　a　winding…

sheet　of　silk　as　they　rotate　the　victim　in　order　to　enshroud　it。。。The

ancient　Retiarius；　condemned　to　meet　a　powerful　beast　of　prey；　appeared　in

the　arena　with　a　net　of　cordage　lying　upon　his　left　shoulder；　the　animal

sprang　upon　him；　the　man；　with　a　sudden　throw；　caught　it　in　the　meshes；　a

stroke　of　the　trident　despatched　it。　Similarly　the　Epe？ra　throws　its　web；

and　when　there　is　no　longer　any　movement　under　the　white　shroud　the　spider

draws　closer；　its　venomous　fangs　perform　the　office　of　the　trident。

（13/10。）



The　Praying　Mantis；　that　demoniac　creature　which　alone　among　the　insects

turns　its　head　to　gaze；　〃whose　pious　airs　conceal　the　most　atrocious

habits；〃　remains　on　the　watch；　motionless；　for　hours　at　a　time。　Let　a　great

grasshopper　chance　to　come　by：　the　Mantis　follows　it　with　its　glance；

glides　between　the　leaves；　and　suddenly　rises　up　before　it；　〃and　then

assumes　its　spectral　pose；　which　terrifies　and　fascinates　the　prey；　the

wing…covers　open；　the　wings　spring　to　their　full　width；　forming　a　vast

pyramid　which　dominates　the　back；　a　sort　of　swishing　sound　is　heard；　like

the　hiss　of　a　startled　adder；　the　murderous　fore…limbs　open　to　their　full

extent；　forming　a　cross　with　the　body；　and　exhibiting　the　axillae

ornamented　with　eyes　vaguely　resembling　those　of　the　peacock's　tail；　part

of　the　panoply　of　war；　concealed　upon　ordinary　occasions。　These　are　only

exhibited　when　the　creature　makes　itself　terrible　and　superb　for　battle。

Then　the　two　grappling…hooks　are　thrown；　the　fangs　strike；　the　double

scythes　close　together　and　hold　the　victim　as　in　a　vice。〃　（13/11。）



There　is　no　peace；　night　falls　and　the　horrible　conflict　continues　in　the

darkness。　Atrocious　struggles；　merciless　duels；　fill　the　summer　nights。　On

the　stems　of　the　long　grasses；　beside　the　furrows；　the　glow…worm

〃anaethetizes　the　snail；〃　instilling　into　it　its　venom；　which　stupefies　and

produces　sleep；　in　order　to　immobilize　its　prey　before　devouring　it。



Having　chorused　their　joy　all　the　day　long　in　the　sunshine；　in　the　evening

the　Cicadae　fall　asleep　among　the　olives　and　the　lofty　plane…trees。　But

suddenly　there　is　a　sound　as　of　a　cry　of　anguish；　short　and　strident；　it　is

the　despairing　lamentation　of　the　cicada；　surprised　in　repose　by　the　green

grasshopper；　that　ardent　hunter　of　the　night；　which　leaps　upon　the　cicada；

seizes　it　by　the　flank；　and　devours　the　contents　of　the　stomach。　After　the

orgy　of　music　comes　night　and　assassination。



Such　is　the　gloomy　epic　which　goes　forward　among　the　flowers；　amidst　the

foliage；　under　the　shadowy　boughs；　and　on　the　dusty　fallows。　Such　are　the

sights　that　nature　offers　amid　the　profound　peace　of　the　fields；　behind　the

flowering　of　the　sudden　spring…tide　and　the　splendours　of　the　summer。　These

murders；　these　assassinations　are　committed　in　a　mute　and　silent　world；　but

〃the　ear　of　the　mind〃　seems　to　hear



〃A　tiger's　rage　and　cries　as　of　a　lion

Roaring　remotely　through　this　pigmy　world。〃



Was　it　to　these　thrilling　revelations　that　Victor　Hugo　intended　to　apply

these　so　wonderfully　appropriate　lines？　Was　it　he　who　bestowed　upon　Fabre；

according　to　a　poetic　tradition；　the　name　of　〃the　Homer　of　the　insects；〃

which　fits　him　so　marvellously　well？



It　is　possible；　although　Fabre　himself　can　cite　no　evidence　to　support

these　suggestions；　but　let　us　respect　the　legend；　simply　because　it　is

charming；　and　because　it　adds　an　exact　and　picturesque　touch　to　the

portrait　of　Fabre。



In　this　drama　of　a　myriad　scenes；　in　which　the　little　actors　in　their

rustic　stage　play　each　in　his　turn　their　parts　at　the　mercy　of　occasion　and

the　hazard　of　encounter；　the　humblest　creatures　are　personages　of

importance。



Like　the　human　comedy；　this　also　has　its　characters　privileged　by　birth；

clothed　in　purple；　dazzling　with　embroidery；　〃adorned　with　lofty　plumes；〃

who　strut　pretentiously；　〃its　idle　rich；〃　covered　with　robes　of　gold　of

rustling　splendour；　who　display　their　diamonds；　their　topazes　and　their

sapphires；　who　gleam　with　fire　and　shine　like　mirrors；　magnificent　of　mien；

but　their　brains　are　〃dense；　heavy；　inept；　without　imagination；　without

ingenuity；　deprived　of　all　common　sense；　knowing　no　other　anxiety　than　to

drink　in　the　sunlight　at　the　heart　of　a　rose　or　to　sleep　off　their　draughts

in　the　shadow　of　a　leaf。



Those　who　labour；　on　the　contrary；　do　not　attract　the　eye；　and　the　most

obscure　are　often　the　most　interesting。　Necessitous　poverty　has　educated

and　formed　them；　has　excited　in　them　〃feats　of　invention；〃　unsuspected

talents；　original　industries；　a　thousand　curious　and　unexpected　callings；

and　no　subject　of　poetry　equals　in　interest　the　detailed　history　of　one　of

these　tiny　creatures；　by　which　we　pass　without　observing　them；　amid　the

stones；　the　brambles；　and　the　dead　leaves。　It　is　these　above　all　that　add

an　original　and　epic　note　to　the　vast　symphony　of　the　world。



But　death　also　has　its　poetry。　Its　shadowy　domains　hold　lessons　no　less

magnificent；　and　the　most　putrid　carrion　is　to　Fabre　a　〃tabernacle〃　in

which　a　divine　comedy　is　enacted。



The　ant；　that　〃ardent　filibuster；　comes　first；　and　commences　to　dissect　it

piecemeal。〃



The　Necrophori　〃exhaling　the　odour　of　musk；　and　bearing　red　pompons　at　the

end　of　their　antennae；〃　are　〃transcendent　alchemists。〃



The　Sarcophagi；　or　grey　flesh　flies；　〃with　red　bloodshot　eyes；　and　the

stony　gaze　of　a　knacker〃；　the　Saprinidae；　〃with　bodies　of　polished　ebony

like　pearls　of　jet〃；　the　Silpha　aplata；　with　large　and　sombre　wing…cases　in

mourning；　the　shiny　slow…trotting　Horn…beetle；　the　Dermestes；　〃powdered

with　snow　beneath　the　stomach〃；　the　slender　Staphylinus；　the　whole　fauna　of

the　corpse；　the　whole　horde　of　artisans　of　death；　〃intoxicating　themselves

with　purulence；　probing；　excavating；　mangling；　dissecting；　transmuting；　and

stamping　out　infection。〃



Fabre　gives　a　curious　exposition　of　〃that　strange　art〃　by　which　the　grub　of

the　grey　bot…fly；　the　vulgar　maggot；　by　means　of　a　subtle　pepsine；

disintegrates　and　liquefies　solid　matter；　and　it　is　because　this　singular

solvent　has　no　effect　upon　the　epidermis　that　the　fly；　in　its　wisdom；

chooses　by　preference　the　mucous　membranes；　the　corner　of　the　eye；　the

entrance　of　the　nostrils；　the　borders　of　the　lips；　the　live　flesh　of

wounds；　there　to　deposit　its　eggs。



With　what　penetration　this　original　mind　has　analysed　〃the　operation　of　the

crucible　in　which　all　things　are　fused　that　they　may　recommence〃　and　has

expounded　the　marvellous　lesson　which　is　revealed　by　decomposition　and

putridity！





CHAPTER　14。　PARALLEL　LIVES。



We　have　now　seen　what　entomology　becomes　in　the　hands　of　the　admirable

Fabre。　The　vast　poem　of　creation　has　never　had　a　more　familiar　and　luminous

interpreter；　and　you　will　nowhere　find　other　work　like　his。



How　far　he　outstrips　Buffon　and　his　descriptions　of　animalsso　general；　so

vague；　so　impersonalhis　records　unreliable　and　his　entire　erudition　of　a

second…hand　quality！



It　is　with　Réaumur　that　we　are　first　of　all　tempted　to　compare　him；　and

some　have　chosen　to　see　in　him　only　one　who　has　continued　Réaumur's　work。

In　reality　he　has　eagerly　read　Réaumur；　although　at　heart　he　does　not

really　enjoy　his　writings；　he　has　drunk　from　this　fruitful　source；　but　he

owes　him　no　part　of　his　own　rich　harvest。



But　there　are　many　affinities　between　them；　they　have　many　traits　in

common；　despite　the　points　of　difference　between　them。



The　illustrious　son　of　Rochelle　was　born；　like　Fabre；　with　a　love　of　all

natural　things；　and　before　attacking　the　myriad　problems　of　physics　and

natural　history；　wherein　he　was　to　shine　by　so　many　curious　discoveries；　he

also　had　prepared　himself　by　a　profound　study　of　mathematics。



Luckier　than　Fabre；　however；　Réaumur　enjoyed　not　only　the　advantages　of

birth；　but　all　the　material　conditions　necessary　to　his　ardent　intellectual

activity。　Fortune　overwhelmed　her　favourite　with　gifts；　and　played　no　small

part　in　his　glory　by　enabling　him；　from　an　early　age；　to　profit　by　his

leisure　and　to　give　a　free　rein　to　his　ruling　passions。　He　was　no　less

modest　than　the　sage　of　Sérignan；　self…effacing　before　others；　says　one　of

his　biographers；　so　that　they　were　never　made　to　feel　his　superiority。

（14/1。）



In　the　midst　of　the　beautiful　and　spacious　gard