fabre, poet of science- 第5部分

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

schoolmaster　of　other　days；　living　a　life　so　narrow；　so　slavish；　so

painful；　and　yet　so　full　of　worth；　so　imbued　with　the　sense　of　duty；　and

withal　so　resigned；　a　portrait　for　which　Fabre　might　have　served　as　model

and　prototype；　and　for　which　he　himself　has　drawn　an　unforgettable　sketch。



He　awaited　impatiently　the　news　of　his　removal；　very　modestly　limiting　his

ambitions　to　the　hope　of　entering　some　lycée　as　professor　of　the　sciences。

His　rector　was　not　unnaturally　astonished　that　a　young　man　of　such　unusual

worth；　already　twice　a　licentiate；　should　be　so　little　appreciated　by　those

in　high　places　and　allowed　to　stagnate　so　long　in　an　inferior　post；　and　one

unworthy　of　him。



In　the　end；　however；　after　much　patient　waiting；　he　became　indignant；　as

always；　he　could　see　nothing　ahead。　The　chair　of　mathematics　at　Tournon

escaped　him。　Another　position；　at　Avignon；　also　〃slipped　through　his

fingers〃；　why　or　how　he　never　knew。　He　〃began　to　see　clearly　what　life　is；

and　how　difficult　it　is　to　make　one's　mark　amid　all　this　army　of　schemers；

beggars　and　imbeciles　who　besiege　every　vacant　post。〃



But　his　heart　was　〃none　the　less　hot　with　indignation〃；　he　had　had　enough

of　〃Carpentras；　that　accursed　little　hole〃；　and　when　the　vacations　came

round　once　more　he　〃plainly　considered　the　question〃　and　declared　〃that　he

would　never　again　set　foot　inside　a　communal　school。〃　（2/14。）



He　wrote　to　the　rector：　〃If　instead　of　crushing　me　into　the　narrow　round　of

a　primary　school　they　would　give　me　some　employment　of　the　kind　for　which

my　studies　and　ideas　fit　me；　they　would　know　then　what　is　hatching　in　my

head　and　what　untirable　activity　there　is　in　me。〃　（2/15。）



He　resigned　himself　nevertheless；　he　cursed　and　swore　and　stormed　at　his

fate；　but　he　had　once　more　to　put　up　with　it　〃for　want　of　a　better。〃　All

the　same　〃the　injustice　was　too　unheard…of；　and　no　one　had　ever　seen　or

would　ever　see　the　like：　to　give　him　two　licentiate's　diplomas；　and　to　make

him　conjugate　verbs　for　a　pack　of　brats！　It　was　too　much！〃　（2/16。）





CHAPTER　3。　CORSICA。



At　last　the　chair　of　physics　fell　vacant　at　the　college　of　Ajaccio；　the

salary　being　72　pounds　sterling；　and　he　left　for　Corsica。　His　stay　there

was　well　calculated　to　impress　him。　There　the　intense　impressionability

which　the　little　peasant　of　Aveyron　received　at　birth　could　only　be

confirmed　and　increased。　He　felt　that　this　superb　and　luxuriant　nature　was

made　for　him；　and　that　he　was　born　for　it；　to　understand　and　interpret　it。

He　would　lose　himself　in　a　delicious　intoxication；　amid　the　deep　woodlands；

the　mountains　rich　with　scented　flowers；　wandering　through　the　maquis；　the

myrtle　scrub；　through　jungles　of　lentisk　and　arbutus；　barely　containing　his

emotion　when　he　passed　beneath　the　great　secular　chestnut…trees　of

Bastelica；　with　their　enormous　trunks　and　leafy　boughs；　whose　sombre

majesty　inspired　in　him　a　sort　of　melancholy　at　once　poetic　and　religious。

Before　the　sea；　with　its　infinite　distances；　he　lingered　in　ecstasy；

listening　to　the　song　of　the　waves；　and　gathering　the　marvellous　shells

which　the　snow…white　breakers　left　upon　the　beach；　and　whose　unfamiliar

forms　filled　him　with　delight。



He　was　soon　so　accustomed　to　his　new　life　in　peaceful　Ajaccio；　whose

surroundings；　decked　in　eternal　verdure；　are　so　captivating　and　so

beautiful；　that　in　spite　of　a　vague　desire　for　change　he　now　dreaded　to

leave　it。　He　never　wearied　of　admiring　and　exalting　the　beautiful　and

majestic　aspects　of　his　new　home。　How　he　longed　to　share　his　enthusiasm

with　his　father　or　his　brother；　as　he　rambled　through　the　neighbouring

maquis！



〃The　infinite；　glittering　sea　at　my　feet；　the　dreadful　masses　of　granite

overhead；　the　white；　dainty　town　seated　beside　the　water；　the　endless

jungles　of　myrtle；　which　yield　intoxicating　perfumes；　the　wastes　of

brushwood　which　the　ploughshare　has　never　turned；　which　cover　the　mountains

from　base　to　summit；　the　fishing…boats　that　plough　the　gulf：　all　this　forms

a　prospect　so　magnificent；　so　striking；　that　whosoever　has　beheld　it　must

always　long　to　see　it　again。〃　（3/1。）



〃What　is　their　rock　of　Pierrelatte；　that　enormous　block　of　stone　which

overhangs　the　place　where　they　dwell；　a　reef　which　rises　from　the　surface

of　the　ancient　sea　of　alluvium；　compared　with　these　blocks　of　uprooted

granite　which　lie　upon　the　hillsides　here？〃



And　what　were　the　Aubrac　hills　which　traversed　his　native　country；　what　was

the　Ventoux　even；　that　famous　Alp；　〃beside　the　peaks　which　rise　about　the

gulf　of　Ajaccio；　always　crowned　with　clouds　and　whitened　with　snow；　even

when　the　soil　of　the　plains　is　scorching　and　rings　like　a　fired　brick？〃



Time　did　nothing　to　abate　these　first　impressions；　and　after　more　than　a

year　on　the　island　he　was　still　full　of　wonder　〃at　the　sight　of　these

granite　crests；　corroded　by　the　severities　of　the　climate；　jagged；

overthrown　by　the　lightning；　shattered　by　the　slow　but　sure　action　of　the

snows；　and　these　vertiginous　gulfs　through　which　the　four　winds　of　heaven

go　roaring；　these　vast　inclined　planes　on　which　snow…drifts　form　thirty；

sixty；　and　ninety　feet　in　depth；　and　across　which　flow　winding　watercourses

which　go　to　fill；　drop　by　drop；　the　yawning　craters；　there　to　form　lakes；

black　as　ink　when　seen　in　the　shadow；　but　blue　as　heaven　in　the　light。。。



〃But　it　would　be　impossible　for　me　to　give　you　the　least　idea　of　this　dizzy

spectacle；　this　chaos　of　rocks；　heaped　in　frightful　disorder。　When；　closing

my　eyes；　I　contemplate　these　results　of　the　convulsion　of　the　soil　in　my

mind's　eye；　when　I　hear　the　screaming　of　the　eagles；　which　go　wheeling

through　the　bottomless　abysses；　whose　inky　shadows　the　eye　dares　hardly

plumb；　vertigo　seizes　me；　and　I　open　my　eyes　to　reassure　myself　by　the

reality。〃



And　he　sends　with　his　letter　a　few　leaves　of　the　snow　immortellethe

edelweissplucked　on　the　highest　summits；　amid　the　eternal　snows；　〃you

will　put　this　in　some　book；　and　when；　as　you　turn　the　leaves；　the


immortelle　meets　your　eyes；　it　will　give　you　an　excuse　for　dreaming　of　the

beautiful　horrors　of　its　native　place。〃　（3/2。）



What　a　misfortune　for　him；　what　regret　he　would　feel；　〃if　he　had　now　to　go

to　some　trivial　country　of　plains；　where　he　would　die　of　boredom！〃



For　him　everything　was　unfamiliar：　not　only　the　flora；　but　the　maritime

wealth　of　this　singular　country。　He　would　set　out　of　a　morning；　visiting

the　coves　and　creeks；　roving　along　the　beaches　of　this　magnificent　gulf；　a

lump　of　bread　in　his　pocket；　quenching　his　thirst　with　sea…water　in　default

of　fresh！



They　were　mornings　full　of　rosy　illusions；　whose　smiling　hopes　were

revealed　in　his　admirable　letters　to　his　brother。　Already　he　meditated　a

conchology　of　Corsica；　a　colossal　history　of　all　the　molluscs　which　live

upon　its　soil　or　in　its　waters。　（3/3。）　He　collected　all　the　shells　he　could

procure。　He　analysed；　described；　classed；　and　co…ordinated　not　only　the

marine　species；　but　the　terrestrial　and　freshwater　shells　also；　extant　or

fossil。　He　asked　his　brother　to　collect　for　him　all　the　shells　he　could

find　in　the　marshes　of　Lapalud；　in　the　brooks　and　ditches　of　the

neighbourhood　of　Orange。　In　his　enthusiasm　he　tried　to　convince　him　of　the

immense　interest　of　these　researches；　which　might　perhaps　seem　ridiculous

or　futile　to　him；　but　let　him　only　think　of　geology；　the　humblest　shell

picked　up　might　throw　a　sudden　light　upon　the　formation　of　this　or　that

stratum。　None　are　to　be　disdained：　for　men　have　considered；　with　reason；

that　they　were　honouring　the　memory　of　their　eminent　fellows　by　giving

their　names　to　the　rarest　and　most　beautiful。　Witness　the　magnificent　Helix

dedicated　to　Raspail；　which　is　found　only　in　the　caverns　where　the

strawberry…tree　grows　amid　the　high　mountains　of　Corsica。　（3/4。）



Moreover；　he　said；　〃the　infinitesimal　calculus　of　Leibnitz　will　show　you

that　the　architecture　of　the　Louvre　is　less　learned　than　that　of　a　snail：

the　eternal　geometer　has　unrolled　his　transcendent　spirals　on　the　shell　of

the　mollusc　that　you；　like　the　vulgar　profane；　know　only　seasoned　with

spinach　and　Dutch　cheese。〃　（3/5。）



For　all　that；　he　did　not　neglect　his　mathematics；　in　which；　on　the

contrary；　he　found　abundant　and　suggestive　recreation。　The　properties　of　a

figure　or　a　curve　which　he　had　newly　discovered　prevented　his　sleep　for

several　nights。



〃All　this　morning　I　have　been　busy　with　star…shaped　polygons；　and　have

proceeded　from　surprise　to　surprise。。。perceiving　in　the　distance；　as　I

advanced；　unforeseen　and　marvellous　consequences。〃



Here；　among　others；　is　one　question　which　suddenly　presented　itself　to　his

mind　〃in　the　midst　of　the　spikes〃　of　his　polygons：　what　would　be　the　period

of　the　rotation　of　the　sun　on　its　own　centre　if　its　atmosphere　reached　as

far　as　the　earth？　And　this　question　gave　rise　to　another；　〃without　which

the　sequence　stops　then　and　there；　number；　space；　movement；　and　order　form

a　single　chain；　the　first　link　of　which　sets　all　the　rest　in　motion。〃

（3/6。）　And　the　hours　went　by　quickly；　so　quickly　with　〃x；〃　the　plants　and

the　shells；　that　〃literally　there　was　no　time　to　eat。〃



For　Fabre　was　born　a　poet；　and　mathematics　borders　upon　poetry；　he　saw　in

algebra　〃the　most　magnificent　flights；〃　and　the　figures　of　analytical

geometry　unrolled　themselves　in　his　imagination　〃in　superb　strophes〃；　the

Ellipse；　〃the　trajectory　of　the　planets；　with　its　two　related　foci；　sending

from　one　to　the　other　a　constant　sum　of　vector　radii〃；　the　Hyperbole；　〃with

repulsive　foci；　the　desperate　curve　which　plunges　into　space　in　infinite

tentacles；　approaching　closer　and　closer　to　a　straight　line；　the　asymptote；

without　ever　finally　attaining　it〃；　the　Parabola；　〃which　seeks　fruitlessly

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

bomb：　it　is　the　path　of　certain　com