fabre, poet of science-第4部分

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what　privations！Blanchard's　〃Natural　History　of　the　Articulata；〃　then　a

classic　work；　which　he　was　to　re…read　a　hundred　times；　and　which　he　still

retains；　giving　it　the　first　place　in　his　modest　library；　in　memory　of　his

early　joys　and　emotions。



The　rocks　also　arrested　and　captivated　his　attention：　and　already　the　first

volumes　were　corpulent　of　what　was　eventually　to　become　his　gigantic

herbiary。　His　brother；　about　to　leave　for　Vezins　on　vacation；　was　told　of

the　specimens　which　he　wanted　to　complete　his　collection；　for　although　he

had　never　set　foot　there　since　his　first　departure；　he　recalled；　with

remarkable　precision；　all　the　plants　that　grew　in　his　native　countryside；

their　haunts；　their　singularities；　and　the　characteristics　by　which　one

could　not　fail　to　recognize　them：　as　well　as　all　the　places　which　they

chose　by　preference；　where　he　used　to　wander　as　an　urchin；　the　Parnassia

palustris；　〃which　springs　up　in　the　damp　meadows；　below　the　beech…wood　to

the　west　of　the　village；　which　bears　a　superb　white　flower　at　the　top　of　a

slightly　twisted　stem；　having　an　oval　leaf　about　its　middle〃；　the　purple

digitalis；　〃whose　long　spindles　of　great　red　flowers；　speckled　with　white

inside；　and　shaped　like　the　fingers　of　a　glove；〃　border　a　certain　road；　all

the　ferns　that　grow　on　the　wastes；　〃amid　which　it　is　often　no　easy　task　to

recollect　one's　whereabouts；〃　and　on　the　arid　hills　all　the　heathers；　pink；

white；　and　bluish；　with　different　foliage；　〃of　which　the　innumerable

species　do　not；　however；　very　greatly　differ。〃　Nothing　is　to　be　neglected；

〃every　plant；　whatever　it　may　be；　great　or　little；　rare　or　common；　were　it

only　a　frond　of　moss；　may　have　its　interest。〃　（2/5。）



Never　weary　of　work；　he　accumulated　all　these　treasures　in　his　little

museum；　in　order　to　study　them　the　better；　he　collected　all　the　coins

exhumed　from　this　ancient　soil；　formerly　Roman；　〃records　of　humanity　more

eloquent　than　books；〃　and　which　revealed　to　him　the　only　method　of　learning

and　actually　re…living　history：　for　he　saw　in　knowledge　not　merely　a　means

of　gaining　his　bread；　but　〃something　nobler；　the　means　of　raising　the

spirit　in　the　contemplation　of　the　truth；　of　isolating　it　at　will　from　the

miseries　of　reality；　so　to　find；　in　these　intellectual　regions；　the　only

hours　of　happiness　that　we　may　be　permitted　to　taste。〃　（2/6。）



Fabre　was　so　steeped　in　this　passion　for　knowledge　that　he　wished　to　evoke

it　in　his　brother；　now　teacher　at　Lapalud；　on　the　Rh？ne；　not　far　from

Orange。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　would　delight　in　his　wealth　still　better

could　he　share　it　with　another。　（2/7。）　He　stimulated　him；　pricked　him　on；

and　sought　to　encourage　the　remarkable　aptitude　for　mathematics　with　which

he　believed　him　endowed。　He　employed　his　whole　strength　in　breathing　into

the　other's　mind　〃that　taste　for　the　true　and　the　beautiful〃　which

possessed　his　own　nature；　he　wished　to　share　with　him　those　stores　of

learning　〃which　he　had　for　some　years　so　painfully　amassed〃；　he　would

profit　by　the　vacation　to　place　them　at　his　disposal；　they　would　work

together　〃and　the　light　would　come。〃　Above　all　his　brother　must　not　allow

his　intelligence　to　slumber；　must　beware　of　〃extinguishing　that　divine

light　without　which　one　can；　it　is　true；　attend　to　one's　business；　but

which　alone　can　make　a　man　honourable　and　respected。〃




Let　him；　on　the　contrary；　cultivate　his　mind　incessantly；　〃the　only

patrimony　on　which　either　of　us　can　count〃；　the　reward　would　be　his　moral

well…being；　and；　he　hoped；　his　physical　welfare　also。



Once　more　he　reinforced　his　advice　by　that　excellent　counsel　which　was

always　his　own　lodestar：　



〃Science；　Frédéric；　knowledge　is　everything。。。You　are　too　good　a　thinker

not　to　say　with　me　that　no　one　can　better　employ　his　time　than　by　acquiring

fresh　knowledge。。。Work；　then；　when　you　have　the　opportunity。。。an

opportunity　that　very　few　may　possess；　and　for　which　you　ought　to　be　only

too　thankful。　But　I　will　stop；　for　I　feel　my　enthusiasm　is　going　to　my

head；　and　my　reasons　are　so　good　already　that　I　have　no　need　of　still　more

triumphant　reasons　to　convince　you。〃　（2/8。）



He　had　only　one　passion：　shooting；　more　especially　the　shooting　of　larks。

This　sport　delighted　him；　〃with　the　mirror　darting　its　intermittent　beams

under　the　rays　of　the　morning　sun　amid　the　general　scintillation　of　the

dewdrops　and　crystals　of　hoarfrost　hanging　on　every　blade　of　grass。〃　（2/9。）



His　sight　was　admirably　sure；　and　he　rarely　missed　his　aim。　His　passion　for

shooting　was　always　sustained　by　the　same　motive：　the　desire　to　acquire

fresh　knowledge；　to　examine　unknown　creatures　close　at　hand；　to　discover

what　they　ate　and　how　they　lived。



Later；　when　he　again　took　up　his　gun；　it　was　still　because　of　his　love　of

life：　it　was　to　enable　him　to　enumerate；　inventory；　and　interrogate　his　new

compatriots；　his　feathered　fellow…citizens　of　Sérignan；　to　inform　himself

of　their　diet；　to　reveal　the　contents　of　their　crops　and　gizzards。



At　one　time　he　suddenly　ceased　to　employ　this　distraction；　he　seems　to　have

sacrificed　it　easily；　under　the　stress　of　present　necessities　and　cruel

anxieties　as　to　his　uncertain　future。　〃When　we　do　not　know　where　we　shall

be　tomorrow　nothing　can　distract　us。〃　（2/10。）



His　responsibilities　were　increasing。　He　had　lately　married。　On　the　30th

October；　1844；　he　was　wedded　to　a　young　girl　of　Carpentras；　Marie　Villard；

and　already　a　child　was　born。　His　parents；　always　unlucky；　met　nowhere　with

any　success。　By　dint　of　many　wanderings　they　had　finally　become　stranded　at

Pierrelatte；　the　chief　town　of　the　canton　of　La　Dr？me；　sheltered　by　the

great　rock　which　has　given　the　place　its　name；　and　there　again；　of　course；

they　kept　a　café；　situated　on　the　Place　d'Armes。



The　whole　family　was　now　assembled　in　the　same　district；　a　few　miles　only

one　from　another：　but　Henri　was　really　its　head。　Having　heard　that　a

quarrel　had　arisen　between　his　brother　and　his　mother；　he　wrote　to　Frédéric

in　reprimand；　gently　scolding　him　and　begging　him　to　set　matters　right；

〃even　if　all　the　wrongs　were　not　on　his　side。〃



〃My　father；　in　one　of　his　letters；　complains　that　in　spite　of　your　nearness

you　have　not　yet　been　to　see　them。　I　know　very　well　there　is　some　reason

for　sulking；　but　what　matter？　Give　it　up：　forget　everything；　do　your　best

to　put　an　end　to　all　these　petty　and　ugly　estrangements。　You　will　do　so；

won't　you？　I　count　on　it；　for　the　happiness　of　all。〃　（2/11。）



He　was　their　arbitrator；　their　adviser；　their　oracle；　their　bond　of　union。



With　all　this；　he　was　ready　to　attempt　the　two　examinations　which　were　to

decide　his　future。　Very　shortly；　at　Montpellier；　he　passed　almost

successively；　at　an　interval　of　only　a　few　months　the　examinations　for　both

his　baccalauréats；　and　then　the　two　licentiate　examinations　in　mathematics

and　physical　science。



While　he　was　ardently　studying　for　these　examinations；　sorrow　for　the　first

time　knocked　at　his　door。　His　first…born　fell　suddenly　ill；　and　in　a　few

days　died。　On　this　occasion　all　his　ardent　spirituality　asserted　itself；

though　in　stricken　accents；　in　the　letter　which　he　wrote　to　his　brother　to

announce　his　loss：　



〃After　a　few　days　of　a　marked　improvement；　which　made　me　think　he　was

saved；　two　large　teeth　were　cut。。。and　in　three　days　a　dreadful　fever　took

him；　not　from　us；　who　will　follow　him；　but　from　this　miserable　world。　Ah；

poor　child；　I　shall　always　see　you　as　you　were　during　those　last　moments；

turning　those　wide；　wandering　eyes　toward　heaven；　seeking　the　way　to　your

new　country。　With　a　heart　full　of　tears；　I　shall　often　let　my　thoughts　go

straying　after　you；　but　alas！　with　the　eyes　of　the　body　I　shall　never　see

you　again。　I　shall　see　you　no　more：　yet　only　a　few　days　ago　I　was　making

the　finest　plans　for　you。　I　used　to　work　for　you　only；　in　my　studies　I

thought　only　of　you。　Grow　up；　I　used　to　say；　and　I　will　pour　into　your　mind

all　the　knowledge　which　has　cost　me　so　dear；　which　I　am　hoarding　little　by

little。。。But　reflection　leads　me　to　higher　thoughts。　I　choke　back　the　tears

in　my　heart；　and　I　congratulate　him　that　Heaven　has　mercifully　spared　him

this　life　of　trials。。。My　poor　child。。。you　will　never；　like　your　father；

have　to　struggle　against　poverty　and　misfortune；　you　will　never　know　the

bitterness　of　life；　and　the　difficulties　of　creating　a　position　at　a　time

when　there　are　so　many　paths　that　lead　to　failure。。。I　weep　for　you　because

we　have　lost　you；　but　I　rejoice　because　you　are　happy。。。You　are　happy；　and

this　is　not　the　mad　hope　of　a　father　broken　by　sorrow；　no；　your　last　glance

told　me　so；　too　eloquently　for　me　to　doubt　it。　Oh；　how　beautiful　you　were

in　your　mortal　pallor；　the　last　sigh　on　your　lips；　your　gaze　upon　heaven；

and　your　soul　ready　to　fly　into　the　bosom　of　God！　Your　last　day　was　the

most　beautiful！〃　（2/12。）



Although　study　was　his　refuge；　although　he　was　thereby　able　to　live　through

these　evil　days　without　too　greatly　feeling　their　weight；　his　position　was

hateful；　and　he　lived　a　wretched　life　〃from　one　day　to　another；　like　a

beggar。〃



In　those　troublous　times；　when　education　was　of　no　account；　it　often

happened　that　his　teacher's　salary　was　several　months　in　arrears；　and　the

city　of　Carpentras；　〃not　being　in　funds；〃　paid　it　only　by　instalments；　and

even　so　kept　him　a　long　time　waiting。　〃One　has　to　besiege　the　paymaster's

door　merely　to　obtain　a　trifle　on　account。　I　am　ashamed　of　the　whole

business；　and　I　would　gladly　abandon　my　claim　if　I　knew　where　to　raise　any

money。〃　（2/13。）



The　genius　of　Balzac　has　recorded　some　unforgettable　types　of　those　poor

and　notable　lives；　at　once　so　humble　and　so　lofty。　He　has　described　the

village　curé　and　the　country　doctor。　But　how　we　should　have　loved　to

encounter　in　his　gallery；　among　so　many　living　portraits；　a　picture　of　the

university　life　of　fifty　years　ago；　and　above　all　a　picture　of　the　small

schoolmaster　of　other　d