fabre, poet of science-第6部分

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in　the　infinite　for　its　second；　lost　centre：　it　is　the　trajectory　of　the

bomb：　it　is　the　path　of　certain　comets　which　come　one　day　to　visit　our　sun；

then　flee　into　the　depths　whence　they　never　return。〃　（3/7。）



And　one　fine　morning　we　behold　him　mounting；　thrilled　by　a　lyric　passion；

to　the　lofty　regions　in　which　Number；　〃irresistible；　omnipotent；　keystone

of　the　vault　of　the　universe；　rules　at　once　Time　and　Space。〃　He　ascends；　he

rushes　forward；　farther　than　the　chariot



〃Beyond　the　Husbandman　who　ploughs　in　space

And　sows　the　suns　in　furrows　of　the　skies。〃



He　ascends　those　tracks　of　flame；　where　on　high



　　　　〃in　those　lists　inane

Wise　regulator；　Number　holds　the　reins

　　Of　those　indomitable　steeds；　

Number　has　set　a　bit　i'　the　foaming　mouths

Of　these　Leviathans；　and　with　nervous　hand

　　Controls　them　in　their　tracks；　



Their　smoking　flanks　beneath　the　yoke　in　vain

Quiver；　their　nostrils　vainly　void　as　foam

Dense　tides　of　lava；　and　in　vain　they　rear；　

For　Number　on　their　mettled　haunches　poised

Holds　them；　or　duly　with　the　rein　controls；　

Or　in　their　flanks　buries　his　spur　divine。〃　（3/8。）



Later　he　confessed　all　that　he　owed；　as　a　writer；　to　geometry；　whose　severe

discipline　forms　and　exercises　the　mind；　gives　it　the　salutary　habit　of

precision　and　lucidity；　and　puts　it　on　its　guard　against　terms　which　are

incorrect　or　unduly　vague；　giving　it　qualities　far　superior　to　all　the

〃tropes　of　rhetoric。〃



It　was　then　that　he　became　the　pupil　of　Requien　of　Avignon；　the　retired

botanist；　a　lofty　but　somewhat　limited　mind；　who　was　hardly　capable　of

opening　up　other　horizons　to　him。　But　Requien　did　at　least　enrich　his

memory　by　a　prodigious　quantity　of　names　of　plants　with　which　he　had　not

been　acquainted。　He　revealed　to　him　the　immense　flora　of　Corsica；　which　he

himself　had　come　to　study；　and　for　which　Fabre　was　to　gather　such　a　vast

amount　of　material。



Fabre　found　in　Requien　more　especially　a　friend　〃proof　against　anything〃；

and　when　the　latter　died　almost　suddenly　at　Bonifacio；　Fabre　was

overwhelmed　by　the　sad　news。　On　that　very　day　he　had　on　the　table　before

him　a　parcel　of　plants　gathered　for　the　dead　botanist。　〃I　cannot　let　my

eyes　rest　upon　it；〃　he　wrote　at　the　time；　〃without　feeling　my　heart　wrung

and　my　sight　dim　with　tears。〃　（3/9。）



But　the　most　admirably　fruitful　encounter；　as　it　exercised　the　profoundest

influence　upon　his　destiny；　was　his　meeting　with　Moquin…Tandon；　a　Toulouse

professor　who　followed　Requien　to　Corsica；　to　complete　the　work　which　the

latter　had　left　unfinished：　the　complete　inventory　of　the　prodigious　wealth

of　vegetation；　of　the　innumerable　species　and　varieties　which　Fabre　and　he

collected　together；　on　the　slopes　and　summits　of　Monte　Renoso；　often

botanizing　〃up　in　the　clouds；　mantle　on　back　and　numb　with　cold。〃　（3/10。）



Moquin…Tandon　was　not　merely　a　skilful　naturalist；　he　was　one　of　the　most

eloquent　and　scholarly　scientists　of　his　time。　Fabre　owed　to　him；　not　his

genius；　to　be　sure；　but　the　definite　indication　of　the　path　he　was　finally

to　take；　and　from　which　he　was　never　again　to　stray。



Moquin…Tandon；　a　brilliant　writer　and　〃an　ingenious　poet　in　his

Montpellerian　dialect；〃　（3/11。）　taught　Fabre　never　to　forget　the　value　of

style　and　the　importance　of　form；　even　in　the　exposition　of　a　purely

descriptive　science　such　as　botany。　He　did　even　more；　by　one　day　suddenly

showing　Fabre；　between　the　fruit　and　the　cheese；　〃in　a　plate　of　water；〃　the

anatomy　of　the　snail。　This　was　his　first　introduction　to　his　true　destiny

before　the　final　revelation　of　which　I　shall　presently　speak。　Fabre

understood　then　and　there　that　he　could　do　decidedly　better　than　to　stick

to　mathematics；　though　his　whole　career　would　feel　the　effects　of　that

study。



〃Geometers　are　made；　naturalists　are　born　ready…made；〃　he　wrote　to　his

brother；　still　excited　by　this　incident；　〃and　you　know　better　than　any　one

whether　natural　history　is　not　my　favourite　science。〃　（3/12。）



》From　that　time　forward　he　began　to　collect　not　only　dead；　inert；　or

dessicated　forms；　mere　material　for　study；　with　the　aim　of　satisfying　his

curiosity；　he　began　to　dissect　with　ardour；　a　thing　he　had　never　done

before。　He　housed　his　tiny　guests　in　his　cupboard；　and　occupied　himself；　as

he　was　always　to　do　in　the　future；　with　the　smaller　living　creatures　only。



〃I　am　dissecting　the　infinitely　little；　my　scalpels　are　tiny　daggers　which

I　make　myself　out　of　fine　needles；　my　marble　slab　is　the　bottom　of　a

saucer；　my　prisoners　are　lodged　by　the　dozen　in　old　match…boxes；　maxime

miranda　in　minimis。〃　（3/13。）



Roaming　at　night　along　the　marshy　beaches；　he　contracted　fever；　and　several

terrible　attacks；　accompanied　by　alarming　tremors；　left　him　so　bloodless

and　feeble　that；　much　against　his　will；　he　had　to　beg　for　relief；　and　even

insist　upon　his　prompt　return　to　the　mainland。　in　the　meantime　he　obtained

sick…leave；　and　returned　to　Provence　after　a　terrible　crossing　which　lasted

no　less　than　three　days　and　two　nights；　on　a　sea　so　furious　that　he　gave

himself　up　for　lost。　（3/14。）



Slowly　he　recovered　his　health；　and　after　a　second　but　brief　stay　at

Ajaccio　he　received　the　news　of　his　appointment　to　the　lycée　of　Avignon。

（3/15。）



He　returned　with　his　imagination　enriched　and　his　mind　expanded；　with

settled　ideas；　and　thoroughly　ripe　for　his　task。





CHAPTER　4。　AT　AVIGNON。



The　resolute　worker　resumed　his　indefatigable　labours　with　an　ardour

greater　than　ever；　for　now　he　was　haunted　by　a　noble　ambition；　that　of

becoming　a　teacher　of　the　superior　grade；　and　of　〃talking　plants　and

animals〃　in　a　chair　of　the　faculty。　With　this　end　in　view　he　added　to　his

two　diplomasthose　of　mathematics　and　physicsa　third　certificate；　that

of　natural　sciences。　His　success　was　triumphant。



Already　tenacious　and　fearless　in　affirming　what　he　believed　to　be　the

truth；　he　astonished　and　bewildered　the　professors　of　Toulouse。　Among　the

subjects　touched　upon　by　the　examiners　was　the　famous　question　of

spontaneous　generation；　which　was　then　so　vital；　and　which　gave　rise　to　so

many　impassioned　discussions。　The　examiner；　as　it　chanced；　was　one　of　the

leading　apostles　of　this　doctrine。　The　future　adversary　of　Darwin；　at　the

risk　of　failure；　did　not　scruple　to　argue　with　him；　and　to　put　forward　his

personal　convictions　and　his　own　arguments。　He　decided　the　vexed　question

in　his　own　way；　on　his　own　responsibility。　A　personality　already　so

striking　was　regarded　with　admiration；　a　candidate　so　far　out　of　the

ordinary　was　welcomed　with　enthusiasm；　and　but　for　the　insufficiency　of　the

budget　which　so　scantily　met　the　needs　of　public　instruction　his

examination　fees　would　have　been　returned。　（4/1。）



Why；　after　this　brilliant　success；　was　Fabre　not　tempted　to　enter　himself

for　a　fellowship；　which　would　later　in　his　career　have　averted　so　many

disappointments？　It　was　doubtless　because　he　felt；　obscurely；　that　his

ideal　future　lay　along　other　lines；　and　that　he　would　have　been　taking　a

wrong　turning。　Despite　all　the　solicitations　which　were　addressed　to　him　he

would　think　of　nothing　but　〃his　beloved　studies　in　natural　history〃　（4/2。）；

he　feared　to　lose　precious　time　in　preparing　himself　for　a　competitive

examination；　〃to　compromise　by　such　labour；　which　he　felt　would　be

fruitless〃　（4/3。）；　the　studies　which　he　had　already　commenced；　and　the

inquiries　already　carried　out　in　Corsica。　He　was　busy　with　his　first

original　labours；　the　theses　which　he　was　preparing　with　a　view　to　his

doctorate　in　natural　science；　〃which　might　one　day　open　the　doors　of　a

faculty　for　him；　far　more　easily　than　would　a　fellowship　and　its

mathematics。〃　（4/4。）



At　heart　he　was　utterly　careless　of　dignities　and　degrees。　He　worked　only

to　learn；　not　to　attain　and　follow　up　a　settled　calling。　What　he　hoped

above　all　was　to　succeed　in　devoting　all　his　leisure　to　those　marvellous

natural　sciences　in　which　he　could　vaguely　foresee　studies　full　of

interest；　something　animated　and　vital；　a　thousand　fascinating　themes；　and

an　atmosphere　of　poetry。



His　genius；　as　yet　invisible；　was　ripening　in　obscurity；　but　was　ready　to

come　forth；　he　lacked　only　the　propitious　circumstance　which　would　allow

him　to　unfold　his　wings。



He　was　seeking　them　in　vain　when　a　volume　by　Léon　Dufour；　the　famous

entomologist；　who　then　lived　in　the　depths　of　the　Landes；　fell　by　chance

into　his　hands；　and　lit　the　first　spark　of　that　beacon　which　was　presently

to　decide　the　definite　trend　of　his　ideas。



It　was　this　incident　which　then　and　there　developed　the　germs　already

latent　within　him。　These　had　only　awaited　such　an　occasion　as　that　which　so

fortunately　came　to　pass　one　evening　of　the　winter　of　1854。



Fabre　offers　yet　another　example　of　the　part　so　often　played　by　chance　in

the　manifestations　of　talent。　How　many　have　suddenly　felt　the　unexpected

awakening　of　gifts　which　they　did　not　suspect；　as　a　result　of　some　unusual

circumstance！



Was　it　not　simply　as　a　result　of　having　read　a　note　by　the　Russian　chemist

Mitscherlich　on　the　comparison　of　the　specific　characteristics　of　certain

crystals　that　Pasteur　so　enthusiastically　took　up　his　researches　into

molecular　asymmetry　which　were　the　starting…point　of　so　many　wonderful

discoveries？



Again；　we　need　only　recall　the　case　of　Brother　Huber；　the　celebrated

observer　of　the　bee；　who；　having　out　of　simple　curiosity　undertaken　to

verify　certain　experiments　of　Réaumur's；　was　so　completely　and　immediately

fascinated　by　the　subject　that　it　became　the　object　of　the　rest　of　his

life。



Again；　we　may　ask　what　Claude　Bernard　would　have　been　had　he　not　met

Magendie？　Similarly　Léon　Dufour's　little　work　was　to　Fabre　the　road　to

Damascus；　the　electric　impulse　which　decided　his　vocation。



It　dealt　with　a　very　singular　fact　concerning　the　manners　of　one　of　the

hymenoptera；　a　wasp；　a　Cerceris；　in　whose　nest　Dufour　had　found　small