《fabre, poet of science》

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

authorities。 While the State daily raises so many commonplace men to the

highest honours; it was afterwards needful to procure the intervention of

influential persons; to justify his worth and to prove his deserts; in

order to obtain his promotion through one degree of rank in that Legion of

Honour which his eminent services had so long adorned。



This tardy reparation at least had the result of shedding a twilight of

glory over the evening of his life; and from that day he suddenly appeared

in his true place and took his rank as a man of the first order。 Everybody

began to read him; and presently no one was willing to seem ignorant of

him; for more of his 〃Souvenirs entomologiques〃 were sold in a few months

than had been disposed of in more than twenty years。 (16/24。)



At last Fabre experienced not only glory and renown; but also popularity。

This was only justice; for his is essentially a popular genius。 Has he not

striven all his life to place the marvels of science within reach of all?

And has he not written above all for the children of the people?



So at last people have learned the way to the Harmas; they go thither now

in crowds; to visit the enclosure and the modest laboratory; as to a

veritable place of pilgrimage which attracts from afar many fervent

admirers。



Some; it is true; go thither to see him simply as an object of curiosity;

but even among these there are those who on returning thence; full of

enthusiasm for what they have seen; find the flowers of the fields more

sweet and fragile; and the wild fragrance of the woods and hedges more

voluptuous; and the green of the trees more tender。 They have learnt to

look at the earth and to 〃kneel in the grass。〃



Scientists come to chat with the scientist。 Others come to salute the

primary schoolman; the lay instructor; the great pedagogue whose glory is

reflected upon all the primary schools of France。



Those who cannot visit him write; telling him of all the pleasure which

they owe him; thanking him for long and delightful hours passed in the

reading of his books; expressing the hope that he may yet live many years;

and still further increase the number of his 〃Souvenirs。〃



Some ask him a host of questions relating to entomology or philosophy;

others ask him for impossible answers to some of the fascinating and

mysterious problems which he has expounded; women confide in him their

little private griefs or their intimate sorrows; a naive form of homage;

but a thousand times more touching than any other; and one that shows how

profound has been the beneficent influence of his books upon certain

isolated minds; and what consolation can be derived from science when it

finds a sufficiently eloquent voice to interpret it。



As he can work no longer; these visits now fill his life; formally so

occupied; and in the midst of all the sympathy extended to him he is

sensible; not of the twilight; but of a sunrise; he feels that his work has

been good; that an infinity of minds are learning through him to regard

plants and animals with greater affection; and that the consideration of

men; finally directed upon his work; will not readily exhaust it; for it is

one of the Bibles of Nature。









NOTES。



NOTES TO INTRODUCTION。



Introduction/1。 Letters to his brother; 1898…1900。



Introduction/2。 I have made some valuable 〃finds〃 here; among other pieces

cited the fragment on 〃Playthings;〃 the curious description of the

〃Eclipse;〃 and the poem on 〃Number〃 are here published for the first time。



Introduction/3。 This negligence in the matter of correspondence is not

least among the causes which have mitigated against his popularity。



NOTES TO CHAPTER 1。



1/1。 〃It is a country that has very little charm。〃 To his brother; 18th

August; 1846。



1/2。 〃Practicien; homme d'affaires ou de chicane〃: roughly; 〃practitioner;

man of business or law〃: so his father is described in his birth

certificate。



1/3。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 2nd series; chapter 4; and 7th series;

chapter 19。



1/4。 Id。; 8th series; chapter 8。



1/5。 To his brother; 15th August; 1896。



1/6。 Id。 〃As brothers; we are one only; but in virtue of our different

tastes we are two; and I am amused and interested where you might well be

bored。〃



1/7。 Frédéric Fabre; like his brother; an ex…scholar of the normal primary

school of Vaucluse; was first of all teacher at Lapalud (Vaucluse); then

professor in the communal college of Orange。 He was director of the primary

school attached to the normal school of Avignon; where he voluntarily

retired from teaching in 1859。 He then became; successively; secretary to

the Chamber of Commerce of Avignon; director of the Vaucluse Docks; and

finally director of the Crillon Canal; which position he still occupies

(December; 1912)。



1/8。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10th series; chapter 9。



1/9。 Among his innumerable manuscripts I have found a vast number of little

poems; which date from this period。



1/10。 It was then that he gave up his position to his brother Frédéric; who

had continually followed closely in his steps; and who in turn had just

obtained the qualification of pupil…teacher and bursar (August; 1842)。 



1/11。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10 series; chapter 21。



1/12。 To his brother; 2nd and 9th of June; 1851。





NOTES TO CHAPTER 2。



2/1。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 20; and 9th series;

chapter 13。



2/2。 Id。; 6th series; chapter 21。



2/3。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th June; 1850。



2/4。 Id。; id。



2/5。 Id。; from Carpentras; 15th August; 1846。



2/6。 Id。; from Ajaccio; 10th June; 1850。



2/7。 Id。; from Carpentras; 15th August; 1846。



2/8。 Id。; id。



2/9。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 14。



2/10。 To his brother; from Carpentras; 3rd September; 1848。



2/11。 Id。; 8th September; 1848。



2/12。 Id。; id。



2/13。 Id。; 3rd September; 1848。



2/14。 Id。; id。



2/15。 Letter to the Rector of the N?mes Academy; 29th September; 1848。



2/16。 To his brother; 29th September; 1848。



NOTES TO CHAPTER 3。



3/1。 To his father; from Ajaccio; 14th April; 1850。



3/2。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 1851。



3/3。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 9th June; 1851。

〃I have set to work upon a conchology of Corsica; which I hope soon to

publish。〃



3/4。 The Helix Raspaillii。



3/5。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th June; 1850。



3/6。 Id。; id。



3/7。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 9th series; chapter 14。



3/8。 Number; (Le NombreARITHMOS); poem; Ajaccio; September; 1852。



3/9。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 2nd June; 1851。



3/10。 Id。; 10th October; 1852; and 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10th series;

chapter 21。



3/11。 Fr。 Mistral; 〃Mémoires。〃

Moquin…Tandon; born at Montpellier; was professor of Natural History at

Marseilles; at Toulouse; and in Paris。



3/12。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th October; 1852。



3/13。 Id。



3/14。 To his brother; from Carpentras; 3rd December; 1851。

〃Our crossing was atrocious。 Never have I seen so terrible a sea; and that

the packet…boat was not broken up by the force of the waves must have been

due to the fact that our time had not yet come。 On two or three occasions I

thought my last moment was at hand; I leave you to imagine what a terrible

experience I had。 In ordinary weather the packet by which we travelled

makes the voyage from Ajaccio to Marseilles in about eighteen hours; it is

said to be the fastest steamer on the Mediterranean。 On this occasion it

took three days and two nights。〃



3/15。 January; 1853。



NOTES TO CHAPTER 4。



4/1。 To his brother; from Avignon; 1st August; 1854。

〃I have arrived at Toulouse; where I have passed the best examination one

could possibly wish。 I have been accepted as licentiate with the most

flattering compliments; and the expenses of the examination should be

returned to me。 The examination was of a higher level than I had expected。〃



4/2。 To M。  (of the Institute); from Avignon; 1854。

(Letter communicated to M。 Belleudy; prefect of Vaucluse; by M。 Vollon;

painter。)



4/3。 Id。



4/4。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th October; 1852。



4/5。 Observations concerning the habits of the Cerceris and the cause of

the long preservation of the coleoptera with which it provisions its

larvae。〃Annales de Sc。 natur。;〃 4th series; 1855。



4/6。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10th series; chapter 22。



4/7。 〃I had only one idea: to free myself; to leave the lycée; where; not

being a fellow; I was treated as a subordinate。 An inspector…general told

me frankly one day; 'You will never amount to anything if you are not a

fellow' (agrégé)。 'These distinctions disgust me;' I replied。〃

(Conversations。)



4/8。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 14th January; 1850。



4/9。 Inquiries respecting the tubercles of Himantoglossum hircinum。 Thesis

in Botany; 1855。



4/10。 Inquiries respecting the anatomy of the reproductive organs; and the

developments of the Myriapoda。 Thesis in Zoology; 1855。



4/11。 Prize for experimental physiology; 1856。



4/12。 Letter to Léon Dufour; 1st February; 1857。



4/13。 〃The Origin of Species;〃 1857 (?); translated by Barbier; page 15。



4/14。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 1; and 5th series;

chapter 1。



4/15。 Id。; 1st series; chapter 16。



4/16。 Id。; 1st series; chapter one。



4/17。 Henry Devillario; magistrate at Carpentras; where he performed his

duties as juge d'instruction until his death。 A notable collector and

distinguished publicist。

Dr。 Bordone; to…day at Frontignan。 Vayssières; professor of Zoology in the

faculty of sciences at Marseilles。



4/18。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 13。



4/19。 He was subject in his youth to vio
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