fabre, poet of science-第39部分

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of　character　encourages　me。　Until　latterly　I　had　lived　modestly　on　the

product　of　my　school…books。　To…day　the　weathercock　has　turned　to　another

quarter；　and　my　books　no　longer　sell。　So　here　I　am；　more　than　ever　in　the

grip　of　that　terrible　problem　of　daily　bread。　If　you　think；　then；　that　with

your　help　and　that　of　your　friends；　my　poor　pictures　might　help　me　a

little；　I　have　decided　to　let　them　go；　but　not　without　bitterness。　It　is

like　tearing　off　a　piece　of　my　skin；　and　I　still　hold　to　this　old　skin；

shabby　as　it　may　be；　a　little　for　my　own　sake；　much　more　for　my　family's；

and　much　more　again　for　the　sake　of　my　entomological　studies；　studies　which

I　feel　obliged　to　pursue；　persuaded　that　for　a　long　time　to　come　no　one

will　care　to　resume　them；　so　ungrateful　is　the　calling。〃　（16/18。）



At　the　instigation　of　the　poet　the　prefect　Belleudy　took　it　upon　him　to

intercede　with　the　Minister；　from　whom　he　finally　wrung　a　grant　of　40

pounds　sterling；　〃in　encouragement　of　the　sciences。〃　Finally　he　ventured　to

reveal　the　situation　to　the　General　Council　of　Vaucluse；　and　to　require　it

to　contribute　at　least　its　share；　in　order　to　ensure　a　peaceful　and　decent

old　age　to　a　man　who　was　not　only　the　greatest　celebrity　of　the　department；

but　also　one　of　the　highest　glories　of　the　nation。　He　pleaded　so　well　and

so　nobly　that　the　assembly　granted　Fabre　an　annual　sum　of　20　pounds

sterling；　〃as　the　public　homage　which　his　compatriots　pay　to　his　lofty

science　and　HIS　EXCESSIVE　MODESTY。〃　（16/19。）　At　the　same　time；　in　a

generous　impulse；　the　Council　placed　at　his　disposal　all　the　scientific

equipment　of　the　departmental　laboratory　of　agricultural　analysis；　which

was　no　longer　used；　there　was　indeed　talk　of　suppressing　it。



Now　that　the　burden　of　his　days　weighed　so　heavily　on　him；　and　his　task　was

virtually　finished；　everything；　by　the　customary　irony　of　things；　was

coming　his　way　simultaneously：　not　only　what　was　necessary　and

indispensable；　but　even　something　that　was　superfluous。



So　one　day　all　these　delicate　instruments；　useless　to　a　biologist　who　by

the　very　nature　of　his　labours　had　done　without　them　all　his　life；　and　had

never　wearied　of　denying　their　utility；　arrived　at　Sérignan。　He　did　not

possess　even　one　modest　thermometer；　and　as　for　the　superb　microscope　over

which　he　so　often　bent；　the　only　costly　instrument　in　his　rustic

laboratory；　it　was　a　precious　present　which；　at　the　instigation　of　Duruy；

Dumas　the　chemist　had　given　him　years　before；　but　a　simple　lens　very　often

sufficed　him。　〃The　secrets　of　life；〃　he　somewhere　writes；　〃are　to　be

obtained　by　simple；　makeshift；　inexpensive　means。　What　did　the　best　results

of　my　inquiry　into　instinct　cost　me？　Only　time；　and　above　all；　patience。〃



It　was　then　that　a　few　of　his　disciples；　finally　affected　by　such

abandonment；　decided　to　celebrate　his　jubilee；　hoping　thus　to　reveal　both

his　name　and　his　wonderful　books　to　the　crowd　that　knew　nothing　of　him。

（16/20。）



It　was　time；　a　little　longer；　and；　according　to　his　racy　phrase；　〃the

violins　would　have　come　too　late。〃　The　old　master　is　daily　nearer　his

decline；　his　sight；　once　so　piercing；　is　now　so　obscured　that　he　can　barely

see　to　sign　his　name；　in　a　small；　tremulous　hand；　confused　and　illegible。

His　muscles　are　so　feeble　now　that　he　can　walk　only　in　short　steps；　on　his

wife's　arm；　leaning　on　a　cane；　and　he　would　soon　be　piteously　exhausted

were　not　some　seat　available　within　immediate　reach。　Very　soon　now　he　will

no　longer　hope　to　make　the　tour　of　this　Harmas；　which　his　feet　have　trodden

daily　for　thirty　years。　In　this　failure　of　the　body；　all　that　survives　are

the　two　sparkling　cavities　of　his　eyes　and　his　extraordinary　memory。



But　he　is　far　from　being　mournful：　he　feels　only　an　immense　lassitude；　and

an　infinite　regret　that　perhaps　he　will　not　be　able　to　bring　his　series　of

〃Souvenirs〃　to　the　point　he　had　desired；　not　wishing　to　die　until　he　has

pushed　his　career　as　far　as　is　in　his　power；　without　having　worked；　on　his

feet；　until　the　very　hour　when　the　light　of　this　world　is　suddenly

withdrawn；　and　his　eyes　open　upon　the　infinite　life；　beyond　the　infinite

worlds　of　space。



The　festival　took　place　on　the　3rd　of　April　of　the　year　1910；　and　was

touching　in　its　simplicity。



What　an　unforgettable　day　in　the　life　of　Fabre！　That　morning　the　gate　of

the　Harmas　was　left　open　to　all；　and　many　of　the　people　of　Sérignan　who

invaded　the　garden　were　able　to　look　for　the　first　time　on　the　face　of

their　fellow…citizen；　who　had　so　long　lived　among　them；　and　whom　they　had

now；　to　their　astonishment；　discovered。



But　among　the　crowd　of　friends　and　admirers　who；　coming　from　all　parts；

pressed　around　the　little　pink　house；　the　most　amazed　of　all　was　Marius；

the　blind　cabinet…maker；　unable　to　contain　his　intense　delight　at　the

sudden　burning　of　so　much　incense　before　his　idol；　for　to　him　it　had　seemed

that　this　day　of　apotheosis　would　never　dawn！



For　nothing　was　certain；　although　the　day　of　the　jubilee　had　long　been

fixed。　In　the　first　place　there　had　been　serious　defections　in　the　ranks　of

the　official　personages　who　were　to　take　part　in　the　ceremony。　Then　the

weather　was　terrible　for　the　time　of　year；　the　spring　had　commenced

gloomily；　a　season　of　floods　and　catastrophes。　But　on　this　morning　the　rain

of　days　had　ceased　to　fall；　and　suddenly　the　sun　appeared。



Among　other　compliments　and　marks　of　homage　the　old　man　was　presented　with

a　golden　plaque；　on　one　side　of　which　Sicard；　who　stood　revealed　as　a

master　of　the　burin；　had　engraved　his　portrait　with　rare　fidelity。　The

reverse　was　resplendent　with　one　of　the　most　beautiful　syntheses　which　the

history　of　art　has　known；　a　surprising　allegory；　in　which　the　imagination

of　the　artist　evoked　the　man　of　science；　the　singer　of　the　insects；　the

landscape　which　had　seen　the　birth　of　so　many　little　lives；　and　the　village

amid　the　olive…trees；　in　front　of　the　sun…steeped　Ventoux。



At　this　festival；　the　jubilee　of　a　scientist；　the　scientists　were　least

numerous。



The　banquet　was　given　in　the　large　room　of　a　cafe　in　the　midst　of　Sérignan；

in　order；　no　doubt；　that　in　this　humble　life　even　glory　should　be　modest。



As　Fabre　could　not　walk；　he　was　helped　into　the　carriage　of　ceremony；　which

was　sent　expressly　from　Orange；　and　the　little　procession；　which　was

swelled　by　the　municipal　choral　society；　spurred　on　by　Marius；　moved　slowly

off　along　the　sole　central　street。



It　was　a　great　family　repast：　one　of　those　love…feasts　in　which　all

communicate　in　a　single　thought。



Edmond　Perrier　brought　the　naturalist　the　homage　of　the　Institute；　and

expressed　in　unaffected　terms　the　just　admiration　which　he　himself　felt。

The　better　to　praise　him；　he　gave　a　summary　of　his　admirable　career；　and

his　immortal　work。　At　the　evocation　of　this　long　past　of　labour　Fabre

regretted　his　poor　vanished　joys；　〃the　sole　moments　of　happiness　in　his

life。〃



Moved　to　tears；　by　his　memories　and　by　the　simple　and　pious　homage　at　last

rendered　to　his　genius；　he　wept；　and　many；　seeing　him　weep；　wept　with　him。



Others　spoke　in　the　name　of　the　great　anonymous　crowd　of　friends；　of　all

those　who　had　found　a　source　of　infinite　enjoyment　in　his　works。　At　the

same　time　the　greatest　writers；　the　greatest　poets　sent　on　the　same　day；　at

the　same　hour；　their　salutation　or　eloquent　messages　to　the　〃Virgil　of　the

insects〃　（16/21。）；　to　the　〃good　magician　who　knew　the　language　of　the

myriad　little　creatures　of　the　fields。〃　（16/22。）



Doubtless　he　would　sooner　or　later　have　received　full　justice；　but　without

this　circumstance　it　is　permissible　to　add　that　the　end　of　his　life　would

have　passed　amidst　the　completest　oblivion；　and　that　he　would　have　taken

leave　of　the　world　without　attracting　any　particular　attention。　His　death

would　have　occurred　unperceived；　and　when　the　little　vault　of　Vaison　stone；

up　in　the　small　square　enclosure　of　pebbles　which　serves　as　the　village

cemetery；　where　those　he　has　loved　await　him；　came　to　be　opened　for　the

last　time；　they　would　hardly　have　troubled　to　close　it　again。



Yet　the　honours　paid　him　were　far　from　being　such　as　he　merited。



Why；　at　this　jubilee　of　the　greatest　of　the　entomologists；　was　not　a　single

appointed　representative　of　entomology　present？　（16/22。）



The　fact　is　that　the　majority　of　those　who　〃amid　the　living　seek　only　for

corpses；〃　according　to　the　expression　of　Bacon；　unwilling　to　see　in　Fabre

anything　more　than　an　imaginative　writer；　and　being　themselves　incapable　of

understanding　the　beautiful　and　of　distinguishing　it　in　the　true；

reproached　him；　perhaps　with　more　jealousy　than　conviction；　with　having

introduced　literature　into　the　domains　of　science。



Other　entomological　specialists　accuse　him　of　presenting　in　the　guise　of

science　discoveries　which　have　been　made　by　others。　But　in　the　first　place；

as　he　has　read　very　little；　he　certainly　did　not　know　all　that　had　been

done　by　others；　and　what　matter　if　he　had　discovered　nothing　essential

concerning　this　or　that　insect　if　the　result　of　his　study　of　it　has　been　to

impregnate　it　with　something　new；　or　to　touch　it　with　the　breath　of　life？



Others；　finally；　who　wished　to　see　with　their　own　eyes　the　proof　of　his

statements；　have　reproached　him　with　a　few　errors；　but　he　observed　so

skilfully　that　these　errors；　if　any　have　really　slipped　into　his　books；

cannot　be　very　serious。



He　was　one　of　the　glories　of　the　University；　but　it　failed　to　add　to　the

brilliance　of　this　ceremony；　and　it　is　to　be　regretted　that　the　Government

could　not　amid　its　temporary　preoccupations　have　done　with　all　the

spontaneity　that　might　have　been　looked　for　the　one　thing　which　might　on

this　memorable　date　have　atoned　for　its　unjust　obliviousness。　Since　Duruy

had　created　Fabre　a　chevalier　of　the　Empire　more　than　forty　years　had　gone

by；　and　in　this　long　interval　Fabre　was　absolutely　ignored　by　the

authorities。　While　the　Stat