fabre, poet of science-第38节

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endowed　by　the　faintest　glimmer　of　life。



He　shows　us　the　intimate　connection　of　things；　the　universal　harmony　which

so　intimately　allies　all　creatures；　and　he　shows　us　also　that　everywhere

and　all　around　us；　in　the　smallest　object；　poetry　exists　like　a　hidden

flame；　if　only　we　know　how　to　seek　it。



And　in　revealing　so　many　marvellous　energies　in　even　the　lowest　creatures；

he　helps　us　to　divine　the　infinity　of　phenomena　still　unguessed…at；　which

the　subtlety　of　the　unknowable　force　which　thrills　through　the　whole

universe　hides　from　us　under　the　most　trivial　appearances。



For　he　has　not　told　everything；　this　incommensurable　region；　which　had

hitherto　remained　unworked；　is　far　from　being　exhausted。



How　many　unknown　and　hidden　things　are　still　left　to　be　gleaned！　There　will

be　a　harvest　for　all。　Remember　that　〃even　the　humblest　species　either　has

no　history；　or　the　little　that　has　been　written　concerning　it　calls　for

serious　revision〃　（14/8。）；　that　a　single　bush；　such　as　the　bramble；

suffices　to　rear　more　than　fifty　species　of　insects；　and　that　each　species；

according　to　the　just　observation　of　Réaumur；　〃has　its　habits；　its　tricks

of　cunning；　its　customs；　its　industries；　its　art；　its　architecture；　its

different　instincts；　and　its　individual　genius。〃



What　a　stupendous　alphabet　to　decipher；　of　which　we　have　as　yet　only

commenced　to　read　the　first　few　letters！　When　we　are　able　to　read　it　almost

entirely；　when　observers　are　more　numerous　and　have　concerted　their

efforts；　mutually　illuminating；　completing　and　correcting　one　another；

then；　and　then　only；　we　shall　succeed；　if　not　in　resolving　some　of　those

high　problems　which　have　never　ceased　to　interest　mankind；　at　least　in

seizing　some　reflected　knowledge　of　ourselves；　and　in　seeing　a　little

farther　into　the　kingdom　of　the　mind。





CHAPTER　15。　THE　EVENINGS　AT　SéRIGNAN。



But　it　will　doubtless　be　long　before　a　new　Fabre　will　resume；　with　the　same

heroic　ardour；　the　life　of　solitary　labour；　varied　only　by　a　few　austere

recreations。



Rising　at　six　o'clock；　he　would　first　of　all　pace　the　tiles　of　his　kitchen；

breakfast　in　hand；　so　imperious　in　him　was　the　need　of　action；　if　his　mind

was　to　work　successfully；　that　even　at　this　moment　of　morning　meditation

his　body　must　already　be　in　movement。　Then；　after　many　turns　among　the

bushes　of　the　enclosure；　all　irised　with　drops　of　dew　which　were　already

evaporating；　he　went　straight　to　his　cell：　that　is；　to　the　silence　of　his

laboratory。



There；　in　unsociable　silence；　invisible　to　all；　he　worked　hard　and　steadily

until　noon；　pursuing　an　observation　or　carrying　out　some　experiment；　or

recording　what　he　saw　or　what　he　had　seen　the　day　before；　or　re…drafting

his　records　in　their　final　form。



How　many　who　have　come　hither　to　knock　upon　the　door　in　these　morning

hours；　or　to　ring　at　the　little　gate；　silent　as　the　tomb；　which　gives　upon

the　private　path　frequented　only　by　foot…passengers　on　their　way　to　the

fields；　have　undertaken　a　fruitless　journey！　But　without　such　discipline

would　it　have　been　possible　to　accomplish　such　a　task　as　his？



At　last　he　would　leave　his　workroom；　jaded；　exhausted　by　the　excessive

intensity　of　his　work；　〃face　pale　and　features　drawn。〃　（15/1。）



Now　he　is　〃at　leisure：　the　half…day　is　over〃　（15/2。）；　and　he　can　satisfy

his　immense　need　not　of　repose；　but　of　relaxation　and　distraction　in　less

severe　occupations；　for　he　is　never　at　any　time　nor　anywhere　inactive；

incessantly　making　notes；　with　little　stumps　of　pencil　which　he　carries

about　in　his　pockets；　and　on　the　first　scrap　of　paper　that　comes　to　hand；

of　all　that　passes　through　his　mind。　Those　eternal　afternoons；　which

usually；　in　the　depth　of　the　French　provinces；　prove　so　dull　and　wearisome；

seem　short　enough　to　him。　Now　he　will　halt　before　his　plants；　now　stoop　to

the　ground；　the　better　to　observe　a　passing　insect；　always　in　search　of

some　fresh　subject　of　study；　or　now　bending　over　his　microscope。　（15/3。）

Then　he　undertakes；　for　his　later…born　children　at　Sérignan；　the　duties

which　he　formerly　performed　for　the　elder　family　at　Orange：　he　teaches　them

himself；　he　has　much　to　do　with　them；　for　their　sake　and　for　his　own　as

well；　for　he　is　jealous　of　possessing　them；　and　he　regrets　parting　with

them。　They　too　have　their　tasks　arranged　in　advance。



They　are　his　assistants；　his　appointed　collaborators；　who　keep　and　relieve

guard；　undertaking；　in　his　absence；　some　observation　already　in　hand；　so

that　no　detail　may　be　lost；　no　incident　of　the　story　that　unrolls　itself

sometimes　with　exasperating　slowness　beneath　the　bell…covers　of　the

laboratory　or　on　some　bush　in　the　garden。　He　inspires　the　whole　household

with　the　fire　of　his　own　genius；　and　all　those　about　him　are　almost　as

interested　as　he。



At　home；　in　the　house；　always　wearing　his　eternal　felt　hat；　and　absorbed　in

meditation；　he　speaks　little；　holding　that　every　word　should　have　its

object；　and　only　employing　a　term　when　he　has　tested　its　weight　and

meaning。　Silence　at　mealtimes　again　is　a　rule　that　no　one　of　his　household

would　infringe。　But　he　unbends　his　brow　when　he　receives　a　friend　at　his

hospitable　table；　where　but　lately　his　smiling　wife　would　sit；　full　of

little　attentions　for　him。　（15/4。）



Frugal　in　all　respects；　he　barely　touches　the　dishes　before　him；　avoiding

all　meats；　and　saving　himself　wholly　for　the　fruits；　for　is　not　man

naturally　frugivorous；　by　his　teeth；　his　stomach；　and　his　bowels？　Certain

dishes　repel　him；　for　reasons　of　sentiment　rather　than　through　any　real

disgust；　such　as　paté　de　foie　gras；　which　reminds　him　too　forcibly　of　the

so　cruelly　tortured　goose；　such　cruelty　is　too　high　a　price　to　pay　for　a

mere　greasy　mouthful。　（15/5。）　On　the　other　hand；　he　drinks　wine　with

pleasure；　the　harsh；　rough　〃wine　of　the　country〃　of　the　plains　of　Sérignan。

He　is　also　well　able　to　appreciate　good　things　and　appetizing　cookery；　no

one　ever　had　a　finer　palate；　but　he　is　happiest　in　seeing　others　appreciate

the　pleasures　of　the　table。　Witness　that　breakfast　worthy　of　Gargantua；

which　he　himself　organized　in　honour　of　his　guests；　whom　he　had　invited　to

an　excursion　over　the　Ventoux　Alp；　where　he　seems　expressly　to　have

commanded　〃that　all　should　come　in　shoals。〃　What　a　tinkling　of　bottles；

what　piles　of　bread！　There　are　green　olives　〃flowing　with　brine；〃　black

olives　〃seasoned　with　oil；〃　sausages　of　Arles　〃with　rosy　flesh；　marbled

with　cubes　of　fat　and　whole　peppercorns；〃　legs　of　mutton　stuffed　with

garlic　〃to　dull　the　keen　edge　of　hunger〃；　chickens　〃to　amuse　the　molars〃；

melons　of　Cavaillon　too；　with　white　pulp；　not　forgetting　those　with　orange

pulp；　and　to　crown　the　feast　those　little　cheeses；　so　delightfully

flavoured；　peculiar　to　Mont　Ventoux；　〃spiced　with　mountain　herbs；〃　which

melt　in　the　mouth。　（15/6。）



But　his　greatest　pleasure　is　his　pipe；　a　briar；　which　in　absence　of　mind　he

is　always　allowing　to　go　out；　and　always　relighting。



Respectful　of　all　traditions；　he　has　kept　up　the　observance　of　old　customs；

no　Christmas　Eve　has　ever　been　passed　under　the　roof　of　his　Harmas　without

the　consecrated　meats　upon　the　table；　the　heart　of　celery；　the　nougat　of

almonds；　the　dish　of　snails；　and　the　savoury…smelling　turkey。　Then；　stuck

into　the　Christmas　bread　（15/7。）；　the　sprigs　of　holly；　the　verbouisset；　the

sacred　bush　whose　little　starry　flowers　and　coral　berries；　growing　amid

evergreen　leaves；　affirm　the　eternal　rebirth　of　indestructible　nature。



At　Sérignan　Fabre　is　little　known　and　little　appreciated。　To　tell　the

truth；　folk　regard　him　as　eccentric；　they　have　often　surprised　him　in　the

country　lying　on　his　stomach　in　the　middle　of　a　field；　or　kneeling　on　the

ground；　a　magnifying　glass　in　hand；　observing　a　fly　or　some　one　of　those

insignificant　creatures　in　which　no　sane　person　would　deign　to　be

interested。



How　should　they　know　him；　since　he　never　goes　into　the　village？　When　he　did

once　venture　thither　to　visit　his　friend　Charrasse；　the　schoolmaster；　his

appearance　was　an　event　of　which　every　one　had　something　to　say；　so　greatly

did　it　astonish　the　inhabitants。　（15/8。）



Yet　he　never　hesitates　to　place　his　knowledge　at　the　service　of　all；　and

welcomes　with　courtesy　the　rare　pilgrims　in　whom　a　genuine　regard　is

visible；　although　he　is　always　careful　never　to　make　them　feel　his　own

superiority；　but　he　very　quickly　dismisses；　sometimes　a　trifle　hastily；

those　who　are　merely　indiscreet　or　importunate；　pedantic　and　ignorant

persons　he　judges　instantaneously　with　his　piercing　eyes；　with　such　people

he　cannot　emerge　from　his　slightly　gloomy　reserve；　he　shuts　himself　up　like

the　snail；　which；　annoyed　by　some　displeasing　object；　retires　into　its

shell；　and　remains　silent　in　their　presence。



Professors　come　to　consult　him：　asking　his　advice　as　to　their　programmes　of

instruction；　or　begging　him　to　resolve　some　difficult　problem　or　decide

some　especially　vexed　question；　and　his　ex