fabre, poet of science-第43章

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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　explanations　are　so　simple；　so

clear；　so　logical　that　they　are　astonished　at　their　own　lack　of

comprehension　and　their　embarrassment。　（15/9。）



But　there　are　few　who　venture　within　the　walls　of　that　enclosure；　which

seems　to　shut　out　all　the　temptations　of　the　outer　world；　the　only　intimate

visitors　to　the　Harmas　are　the　village　schoolmasterfirst　Laurent；　then

Louis　Charrasse　（15/10。）；　and　later　Jullianand　a　blind　man；　Marius。



This　latter　lost　his　sight　at　the　age　of　twenty。　Then；　to　earn　a　living；　he

began　to　make　and　repair　chairs；　and　in　his　misfortune；　although　blind　and

extremely　poor；　he　kept　a　calm　and　contented　mind。



Fabre　had　discovered　the　sage　and　the　blind　man　on　his　arrival　at　Sérignan；

and　also　Favier　（15/11。）；　〃that　other　native；　whose　jovial　spirit　was　so

prompt　to　respond；　and　who　helped　to　dig　up　the　Harmas；　to　set　up　the

planks　and　tiles　of　the　little　kitchen…garden；　a　rude　task；　since　this

scrap　of　uncultivated　ground　was　then　but　a　terrible　desert　of　pebbles。〃　To

Favier　fell　the　care　of　the　flowers；　for　the　new　owner　was　a　great　lover　of

flowers。　Potted　plants；　sometimes　of　rare　species；　were　already；　as　to…day；

crowded　in　rows　upon　the　terrace　before　the　house；　where　all　the　summer

they　formed　a　sort　of　vestibule　in　the　open　air；　on　either　side　of　the

entrance；　and　these　Fabre　never　ceased　to　watch　over　with　constant　and

meticulous　care。　Both　spoke　the　same　language；　and　the　words　they　exchanged

were　born　of　a　like　philosophy；　for　Favier　also　loved　nature　in　his　own

way；　and　at　heart　was　an　artist；　and　when；　after　the　day's　work；　sitting

〃on　the　high　stone　of　the　kitchen　hearth；　where　round　logs　of　green　oak

were　blazing；〃　he　would　evoke；　in　his　picturesque　and　figurative　language；

the　memories　of　an　old　campaigner；　he　charmed　all　the　household　and　the

evening　seemed　to　pass　with　strange　rapidity。



When　this　precious　servant　and　boon　companion　had　disappeared；　after　two

years　of　digging；　sowing；　weeding；　and　hoeing；　all　was　ready；