fabre, poet of science- 第7部分

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

coleoptera　of　the　genus　Buprestis；　which；　under　all　the　appearances　of

death；　retained　intact　for　an　incredible　time　their　sumptuous　costume；

gleaming　with　gold；　copper；　and　emerald；　while　the　tissues　remained

perfectly　fresh。　In　a　word；　the　victims　of　Cerceris；　far　from　being

desiccated　or　putrefied；　were　found　in　a　state　of　integrity　which　was

altogether　paradoxical。



Dufour　merely　believed　that　the　Buprestes　were　dead；　and　he　gave　an

attempted　explanation　of　the　phenomenon。



Fabre；　his　curiosity　and　interest　aroused；　wished　to　observe　the　facts　for

himself；　and；　to　his　great　surprise；　he　discovered　how　incomplete　and

insufficiently　verified　were　the　observations　of　the　man　who　was　at　that

time　known　as　〃the　patriarch　of　entomologists。〃



》From　that　moment　he　saw　his　way　ahead；　he　suspected　that　there　was　still

much　to　discover　and　much　to　revise　in　this　vast　department　of　nature；　and

conceived　the　idea　of　resuming　the　work　so　splendidly　outlined　by　Réaumur

and　the　two　Hubers；　but　almost　completely　neglected　since　the　days　of　those

illustrious　masters。　He　divined　that　here　were　fresh　pastures；　a　vast

unexplored　country　to　be　opened　up；　an　entire　unimagined　science　to　be

founded；　wonderful　secrets　to　be　discovered；　magnificent　problems　to　be

solved；　and　he　dreamed　of　consecrating　himself　unreservedly；　of　employing

his　whole　life　in　the　pursuit　of　this　object；　that　long　life　whose　fruitful

activity　was　to　extend　over　nearly　ninety　years；　and　which　was　to　be　so

〃representative〃　by　the　dignity　of　the　man；　the　probity　of　the　expert；　the

genius　of　the　observer；　and　the　originality　of　the　writer。



The　year　1855　saw　the　first　appearance；　in　the　〃Annales　des　sciences

naturelles；〃　of　the　famous　memoir　which　marked　the　beginning　of　his　fame：

the　history；　which　might　well　be　called　marvellous　and　incredible；　of　the

great　Cerceris；　a　giant　wasp　and　〃the　finest　of　the　Hymenoptera　which　hunt

for　booty　at　the　foot　of　Mont　Ventoux。〃　（4/5。）



Fabre　was　now　thirty…two　years　old；　and　his　situation　as　assistant…

professor　of　physics　was　somewhat　precarious。　From　the　72　pounds　sterling

which　he　drew　at　Ajaccio；　an　overseas　post；　his　salary　was　reduced；　on　his

return　to　the　mainland；　to　64　pounds　sterling；　and　during　the　whole　of　his

stay　at　Avignon　he　obtained　neither　promotion　nor　the　smallest　increase　of

pay；　excepting　a　few　additional　profits　which　were　unconnected　with　his

habitual　duties。　When　he　left　the　university　after　twenty　well…filled

years；　he　left　as　he　had　entered；　with　the　same　title；　rank；　and　salary　of

a　mere　assistant…professor。



Yet　all　about　him　〃everywhere　and　for　every　one；　all　was　black　indeed〃：　his

family　had　increased　and　therewith　his　expenses；　there　were　now　seven　at

table　every　day。　Very　shortly　his　modest　salary　would　no　longer　suffice；　he

was　obliged　to　supplement　it　by　all　sorts　of　hack…workclasses；

〃repetitions；〃　private　lessons；　tasks　which　repelled　him；　for　they　absorbed

all　his　available　time；　they　prevented　him　from　giving　himself　up　to　his

favourite　studies；　to　his　silent　and　solitary　observations。　Nevertheless；

he　acquitted　himself　of　these　duties　patiently　and　conscientiously；　for　at

heart　he　loved　his　profession；　and　was　rather　a　fellow…disciple　than　a

master　to　his　pupils。　For　this　reason　all　those　about　him　worked　with

praiseworthy　assiduity；　even　the　worst　elements；　the　black　sheep；　the　〃bad

eggs〃　of　other　classes；　with　him　were　suddenly　transformed　and　as　attentive

as　the　rest。　Although　he　knew　how　to　keep　order；　how　to　make　himself

respected；　and　could　on　occasion　deal　severely　and　speak　sternly；　so　that

very　few　dared　to　forget　themselves　before　him；　he　knew　also　how　to　be

merry　with　his　pupils；　chatting　with　them　familiarly；　putting　himself　in

their　place；　entering　into　their　ideas；　and　making　himself　their　rival。　If

life　was　laborious　under　his　ferula；　it　was　also　merry。　The　best　proof　of

this　is　the　fact　that　of　all　his　colleagues　at　the　lycée　he　was　the　only

one　who　had　no　nickname；　a　rarity　in　scholastic　annals。



He　did　not　therefore　object　to　these　lessons；　but　while　at　Carpentras　he

was　made　much　of　and　praised　by　the　principal；　was　a　general　favourite；　and

had　perfect　liberty　to　follow　his　inspiration　during　his　partly　gratuitous

classes；　here　the　hours　and　the　programme　tied　him　down；　which　was

precisely　what　he　found　insupportable。



Everything　made　things　difficult　for　him　here：　his　external　self；　his

character；　ever　so　little　shy　and　unsocial；　his　temperament；　which　was　made

for　solitude。



In　the　thick　of　this　hierarchical　society　of　university　professors　he

remained　independent；　he　knew　nothing　of　what　was　said　or　what　was

happening　in　the　college；　and　his　colleagues　were　always　better　informed

than　he。　（4/6。）　As　he　was　not　a　fellow；　he　was　made　to　feel　the　fact　and

was　treated　as　a　subordinate；　the　others；　who　prided　themselves　on　the

title；　and　who　were　incapable　of　recognizing　his　merit；　which　was　a　little

beyond　them；　were　jealous　of　him；　all　the　more　inasmuch　as　his　name　was

momentarily　noised　abroad；　and　they　revenged　themselves　by　calling　him　〃the

fly〃　among　themselves；　by　way　of　allusion　to　his　favourite　subject。　（4/7。）



Indifferent　to　distinctions；　as　well　as　to　those　who　bore　them；

contemptuous　of　etiquette；　and　incapable　of　putting　constraint　upon　his

nature；　he　remained　an　〃outsider；〃　and　refused　to　comply　with　a　host　of

factitious　or　worldly　obligations　which　he　regarded　as　useless　or

disgusting。　Thus　even　at　Ajaccio　he　managed　to　escape　the　customary

ceremonies　of　New　Year's　Day。



〃Good　society　I　avoid　as　much　as　possible；　I　prefer　my　own　company。　So　I

have　seen　no　one；　I　did　not　respond　to　the　principal's　invitation　to　make

the　official　round　of　visits。〃　（4/8。）



When　obliged　to　accept　some　invitation；　apart　from　occasions　of　too　great

solemnity；　when　he　was　really　constrained　to　dress　himself　in　the　complete

livery　of　circumstance　and　ceremony；　he　remained　faithful　to　his　black　felt

hat；　which　made　a　blot　among　all　the　carefully　polished　〃toppers〃　of　his

colleagues。　He　was　called　to　order；　he　was　reprimanded；　he　obeyed

unwillingly；　or　worse；　he　resisted；　he　revolted；　and　threatened　to　send　in

his　resignation。　To　pay　court　to　people；　to　endeavour　to　make　himself

pleasant；　to　grovel　before　a　superior；　were　to　him　impossibilities。　He

could　neither　solicit；　nor　sail　with　the　wind；　nor　force　himself　on　others；

nor　even　make　use　of　his　relations。



However；　when　he　went　to　Paris　to　take　his　doctor's　degree　in　natural

sciences；　he　did　not　forget　Moquin…Tandon；　who　had　formerly；　in　Corsica；

revealed　to　him　the　nature　of　biology；　and　whom　he　himself　had　received　and

entertained　in　his　humble　home。



The　ex…professor　of　Toulouse；　who　was　now　eminent　in　his　speciality；

occupied　the　chair　of　natural　history　in　the　faculty　of　medicine　in　Paris。

What　better　occasion　could　he　wish　of　introducing　himself　to　a　highly

placed　official？　Fabre　had　formerly　been　his　host；　he　could　recall　the

happy　hours　they　had　spent　together；　he　could　explain　his　plans；　and　ask

for　the　professor's　assistance！　Fate　pointed　to　him　as　a　protector。　But　if

Fabre　had　been　capable　of　climbing　the　professor's　stairs　with　some　such

ambitious　desires；　he　would　quickly　have　been　disabused。



The　〃dear　master〃　had　long　ago　forgotten　the　little　professor　of　Ajaccio；

and　his　welcome　was　by　no　means　such　as　Fabre　had　the　right　to　expect。　Far

from　insisting；　he　was　disheartened；　perhaps　a　little　humiliated；　and

hastened　to　take　his　leave。



The　theses　which　Fabre　brought　with　him；　and　which；　he　had　thought；　ought

to　lead　him　one　day　to　a　university　professorship；　did　not；　as　a　matter　of

fact；　contain　anything　very　essentially　original。



He　had　been　attracted；　indeed　fascinated；　by　all　the　singularities

presented　by　the　strange　family　of　the　orchids；　the　asymmetry　of　their

blossoms；　the　unusual　structure　of　their　pollen；　and　their　innumerable

seeds；　but　as　for　the　curious　rounded　and　duplicated　tubercles　which　many

of　them　bore　at　their　base；　what　precisely　were　they？　The　greatest

botanistsde　Candolle；　A。　de　Jussieuhad　perceived　in　them　nothing　more

than　roots。　Fabre　demonstrated　in　his　thesis　that　these　singular　organs　are

in　reality　merely　buds；　true　branches　or　shoots；　modified　and　disguised；

analogous　to　the　metamorphosed　tubercle　of　the　potato。　（4/9。）



He　added　also　a　curious　memoir　on　the　phosphorescence　of　the　agaric　of　the

olive…tree；　a　phenomenon　to　which　he　was　to　return　at　a　later　date。



In　the　field　of　zoology　his　scalpel　revealed　the　complicated　structure　of

the　reproductive　organs　of　the　Centipedes　（Millepedes）；　hitherto　so

confused　and　misunderstood；　as　also　certain　peculiarities　of　the

development　of　these　curious　creatures；　so　interesting　from　the　point　of

view　of　the　zoological　philosopher　（4/10。）；　for　he　had　become　expert　in

handling　not　only　the　magnifying　glass；　which　was　always　with　him；　but　also

the　microscope；　which　discovers　so　many　infinite　wonders　in　the　lowest

creatures；　yet　which　was　not　of　particular　service　in　any　of　the　beautiful

observations　upon　which　his　fame　is　built。



Returning　to　Avignon；　in　the　possession　of　his　new　degree；　he　commenced　an

important　task　which　took　him　nearly　twenty　years　to　complete：　a

painstaking　treatise　on　the　Sphaeriaceae　of　Vaucluse；　that　singular　family

of　fungi　which　cover　fallen　leaves　and　dead　twigs　with　their　blackish

fructifications；　a　remarkable　piece　of　work；　full　of　the　most　valuable

documentation；　as　were　the　theses　whose　subjects　I　have　just　detailed；　but

without　belittling　the　fame　of　their　author；　one　may　say　that　another；　in

his　place；　might　have　acquitted　himself　as　well。



Although　he　continued　to　undertake　researches　of　limited　interest　and