fabre, poet of science-第13章

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which　were；　at　this　moment　especially；　so　necessary　to　him。　Some　even　went

so　far　as　to　denounce　him　publicly；　and　he　was　mentioned　one　day　from　the

height　of　the　pulpit；　to　the　indignation　of　the　pupils　of　the　upper　Normal

College；　as　a　man　at　once　dangerous　and　subversive。



Some　found　it　objectionable　that　this　〃irregular　person；　this　man　of

solitary　study；〃　should；　by　his　work　and　by　the　magic　of　his　teaching；

assume　a　position　so　unique　and　so　disproportionate。　Others　regarded　the

novelty　of　placing　the　sciences　at　the　disposal　of　young　girls　as　a　heresy

and　a　scandal。



Their　bickering；　their　cabals；　their　secret　manoeuvres；　were　in　the　long

run　to　triumph。　Duruy　had　just　succumbed　under　the　incessant　attacks　of　the

clericals。　In　him　Fabre　lost　a　friend；　a　protector；　and　his　only　support。

Embittered；　defeated；　he　was　now　only　waiting　for　a　pretext；　an　incident；　a

mere　nothing；　to　throw　up　everything。



One　fine　morning　his　landladies；　devout　and　aged　spinsters；　made　themselves

the　instruments　of　the　spite　of　his　enemies；　and　abruptly　gave　him　notice

to　quit。　he　had　to　leave　before　the　end　of　the　month；　for；　simple　and

confident　as　usual；　he　had　obtained　neither　a　lease　nor　the　least　written

agreement。



At　this　moment　he　was　so　poor　that　he　had　not　even　the　money　to　meet　the

expenses　of　his　removal。　The　times　were　troublous：　the　great　war　had

commenced；　and　Paris　being　invested　he　could　no　longer　obtain　the　small

earnings　which　his　textbooks　were　beginning　to　yield　him；　and　which　had　for

some　time　been　increasing　his　modest　earnings。　On　the　other　hand；　having

always　lived　far　from　all　society；　he　had　not　at　Avignon　a　single　relation

who　could　assist　him；　and　he　could　neither　obtain　credit　nor　find　any　one

to　extricate　him　from　his　embarrassments　and　save　him　from　the　extremity　of

need　with　which　he　was　threatened。　He　thought　of　Mill；　and　in　this

difficult　juncture　it　was　Mill　who　saved　him。　The　philosopher　was　then　in

England；　he　was　for　the　time　being　a　member　of　the　House　of　Commons；　and　he

used　to　vary　his　life　at　Avignon　by　a　few　weeks'　sojourn　in　London。　His

reply；　however；　was　not　long　in　coming：　almost　immediately　he　sent　help；　a

sum　of　some　120　pounds　sterling；　which　fell　like　manna　into　the　hands　of

Fabre；　and　he　did　not；　in　exchange；　demand　the　slightest　security　for　this

advance。



Then；　filled　with　disgust；　the　〃irregular　person〃　shook　off　the　yoke　and

retired　to　Orange。　At　first　he　took　shelter　where　he　could；　anxious　only　to

avoid　as　far　as　possible　any　contact　with　his　fellow…men；　then；　having

finally　discovered　a　dwelling　altogether　in　conformity　with　his　tastes；　he

moved　to　the　outskirts　of　the　city；　and　settled　at　the　edge　of　the　fields；

in　the　middle　of　a　great　meadow；　in　an　isolated　house；　pleasant　and

commodious；　connected　with　the　road　to　Camaret　by　a　superb　avenue　of　tall

and　handsome　plane…trees。　This　hermitage　in　some　respects　recalled　that　of

Mill　in　the　outskirts　of　Avignon；　and　thence　his　eyes；　embracing　a　vast

horizon；　from　the　pediment　of　the　ancient　theatre　to　the　hills　of　Sérignan；

could　already　distinguish　the　promised　land。





CHAPTER　5。　A　GREAT　TEACHER。



It　was　in　1871。　Fabre　had　lived　twenty　years　at　Avignon。　This　date

constitutes　an　important　landmark　in　his　career；　since　it　marks　the　precise

moment　of　his　final　rupture　with　the　University。



At　this　time　the　preoccupations　of　material　life　were　more　pressing　than

ever；　and　it　was　then　that　he　devoted　himself　entirely　and　with

perseverance　to　the　writing　of　those　admirable　works　of　introduction　and

initiation；　in　which　he　applied　himself　to　rendering　science　accessible　to

the　youngest　minds；　and　employed　all　his　profound　knowledge　to　the　thorough

teaching　of　its　elements　and　its　eternal　laws。



To　this　ungrateful　taskungrateful；　but　in　reality　pleasurable；　so

strongly　had　he　the　vocation；　the　feeling；　and　the　genius　of　the　teacher

Fabre　applied　himself　thenceforth　with　all　his　heart；　and　for　nine　years

never　lifted　his　hand。



How　insipid；　how　forbidding　were　the　usual　classbooks；　the　second…rate

natural　histories　above　all；　stuffed　with　dry　statements；　with　raw

knowledge；　which　brought　nothing　but　the　memory　into　play！　How　many

youthful　faces　had　grown　pale　above　them！



What　a　contrast　and　a　deliverance　in　these　little　books　of　Fabre's；　so

clear；　so　luminous；　so　simple；　which　for　the　first　time　spoke　to　the　heart

and　the　understanding；　for　〃work　which　one　does　not　understand　disgusts

one。〃　（5/1。）



To　initiate　others　into　science　or　art；　it　is　not　enough　to　have　understood

them　oneself；　it　is　not　enough　even　that　one　should　be　an　artist　or　a

scientist。　Scientists　of　the　highest　flight　are　sometimes　very　unskilful

teachers；　and　very　indifferent　hands　at　explaining　the　alphabet。　It　is　not

given　to　the　first　comer　to　educate　the　young；　to　understand　how　to

identify　his　understanding　with　theirs；　to　measure　their　powers。　It　is　a

matter　of　instinct　and　good　sense　rather　than　of　memory　or　erudition；　and

Fabre；　who　had　never　in　his　life　been　the　pupil　of　any　one；　could　better

than　any　remember　the　phases　through　which　his　mind　had　passed；　could

recollect　by　what　detours　of　the　mind；　by　what　secret　labours　of　thought；

by　what　intuitive　methods　he　had　succeeded　in　conquering；　one　by　one；　all

the　difficulties　in　his　path；　and　in　gradually　attaining　to　knowledge。



It　is　wonderful　to　watch　the　mastery　with　which　he　conducts　his

demonstrations；　the　simplest　as　well　as　the　most　involved；　singling　out　the

essential；　little　by　little　evoking　the　sense　of　things；　ingeniously

seeking　familiar　examples；　finding　comparisons；　and　employing　picturesque

and　striking　images；　which　throw　a　dazzling　light　upon　the　obscurest

question　or　the　most　difficult　problem。　How　in　such　matters　can　one

dispense　with　figurative　speech；　when　one　is　reduced；　as　a　rule；　to　an

inability　to　show　the　things　themselves；　but　only　their　images　and　their

symbols？



Follow　him；　for　example；　in　the　〃The　Sky〃　（5/2。）；　which　seems　to　thrill

with　the　ardent　and　comprehensive　genius　of　a　Humboldt；　and　admire　the　ease

with　which　he　surmounts　all　the　difficulties　and　smooths　the　way　for　the

vast　voyage　on　which　he　conducts　you；　past　the　infinity　of　the　suns　and　the

stars　in　their　millions；　scintillating　in　the　cold　air　of　night；　to　descend

once　more　to　our　humble　〃Earth〃　（5/3。）；　first　an　ocean　of　fire；　rolling　its

heavy　waves　of　molten　porphyry　and　granite；　then　〃slowly　hardening　into

strange　floes　and　bergs；　hotter　than　the　red　iron　in　the　fire　of　the

forge；〃　rounding　its　back；　all　covered　with　gaping　pustules；　eruptive

mountains　and　craters；　and　the　first　folds　of　its　calcined　crust；　until　the

day　when　the　vast　mist　of　densest　vapours；　heaped　up　on　every　hand　and　of

immeasurable　depth；　begins　gradually　to　show　rifts；　giving　rise　at　last　to

an　infinite　storm；　a　stupendous　deluge；　and　forming　the　strange　universal

sea；　〃a　mineral　sludge；　veiled　by　a　chaos　of　smoke；〃　whence　at　length　the

primitive　soil　emerges；　〃and　at　last　the　green　grass。〃



And　although　〃a　little　animal　proteid；　capable　of　pleasure　and　pain；

surpasses　in　interest　the　whole　immense　creation　of　dead　matter；〃　he　does

not　forget　to　show　us　the　spectacle　of　life　flowing　through　matter　itself；

and　he　animates　even　the　simple　elementary　bodies；　celebrating　the

marvellous　activities　of　the　air；　the　violence　of　Chlorine；　the

metamorphoses　of　Carbon；　the　miraculous　bridals　of　Phosphorus；　and　〃the

splendours　which　accompany　the　birth　of　a　drop　of　water。〃　（5/4。）



A　man　must　indeed　love　knowledge　deeply　before　he　can　make　others　love　it；

or　render　it　easy　and　attractive；　revealing　only　the　smiling　highways；　and

Fabre；　above　all　things　the　impassioned　professor；　was　the　very　man　to　lead

his　disciples　〃between　the　hedges　of　hawthorn　and　sloe；〃　whether　to　show

them　the　sap；　〃that　fruitful　current；　that　flowing　flesh；　that　vegetable

blood；〃　or　how　the　plant；　by　a