fabre, poet of science-第14章

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

blood；〃　or　how　the　plant；　by　a　mysterious　transubstantiation；　makes　its

wood；　〃and　the　delicate　bundle　of　swaddling…bands　of　its　buds；〃　or　how

〃from　a　putrid　ordure　it　extracts　the　flavour　and　the　fragrance　of　its

fruits〃；　or　whether　he　seeks　to　evoke　the　murderous　plants　that　live　as

parasites　at　the　cost　of　others；　the　white　Clandestinus；　〃which　strangles

the　roots　of　the　alders　beside　the　rivers；〃　the　Cuscuta；　〃which　knows

nothing　of　labour；〃　the　wicked　Orobanche；　plump；　powerful　and　brazen；　the

skin　covered　with　ugly　scales；　〃with　sombre　flowers　that　wear　the　livery　of

death；　which　leaps　at　the　throat　of　the　clover；　stifling　it；　devouring　it；

sucking　its　blood。〃　（5/5。）



Botany；　by　this　genial　treatment；　becomes　a　most　interesting　study；　and　I

know　of　no　more　captivating　reading　than　〃The　Plant〃　and　〃The　Story　of　the

Log；〃　the　jewels　of　this　incomparable　series。



Employ　Fabre's　method　if　you　wish　to　learn　by　yourself；　or　to　evoke　in　your

children　a　love　of　science；　and；　according　to　the　phrase　of　the　gentle

Jean…Jacques；　to　help　them　〃to　buy　at　the　best　possible　of　prices。〃　Give

them　as　sole　guides　these　exquisite　manuals；　which　touch　upon　everything；

initiating　them　into　everything；　and　bringing　within　the　reach　of　all；　for

their　instruction　or　amusement；　the　heavens　and　the　earth；　the　planets　and

their　moons；　the　mechanism　of　the　great　natural　forces　and　the　laws　which

govern　them；　life　and　its　materials；　agriculture　and　its　applications。　For

more　than　a　quarter　of　a　century　these　catechisms　of　science；　models　of

lucidity　and　good　sense；　effected　the　education　of　generations　of

Frenchmen。　Abridgments　of　all　knowledge；　veritable　codes　of　rural　wisdom；

these　perfect　breviaries　have　never　been　surpassed。



It　was　after　reading　these　little　books；　it　is　said；　that　Duruy　conceived

the　idea　of　confiding　to　this　admirable　teacher　the　education　of　the

Imperial　heir；　and　it　is　very　probable　that　this　was；　in　reality；　the

secret　motive　which　would　explain　why　he　had　so　expressly　summoned　Fabre　to

Paris。　What　an　ideal　tutor　he　had　thought　of；　and　how　proud　might　others

have　been　of　such　a　choice！　But　the　man　was　too　zealous　of　his

independence；　too　difficult　to　tame；　to　bear　with　the　environment　of　a

court；　and　God　knows　whether　he　was　made　for　such　refulgence！　We　need　not

be　surprised　that　Fabre　never　heard　of　it；　it　must　have　sufficed　the

minister　to　speak　with　him　for　a　few　minutes　to　realize　that　the　most

tempting　offers　and　all　the　powers　of　seduction　would　never　overcome　his

insurmountable　dislike　of　life　in　a　capital；　nor　prevail　against　his

inborn；　passionate；　exclusive　love　of　the　open。



For　these　volumes　Fabre　was　at　first　rather　wretchedly　paid；　at　all　events；

until　public　education　had　definitely　received　a　fresh　impulse；　and　for　a

long　time　his　life　at　Orange　was　literally　a　hand…to…mouth　existence。



As　soon　as　he　was　able　to　realize　a　few　advances；　he　had　nothing　so　much　at

heart　as　the　repayment　of　Mill；　and　he　hastened　to　call　on　the　philosopher；

all　the　more　filled　with　gratitude　for　his　generosity　in　that　the　loan；

although　of　the　comparatively　large　amount　of　three　thousand　francs；　was

made　without　security；　practically　from　hand　to　hand；　with　no　other

warranty　than　his　probity。



For　this　reason　this　episode　was　always　engraven　on　his　memory。　Thirty

years　later　he　would　relate　the　affair　even　to　the　most　insignificant

details。　How　many　times　has　he　not　reminded　me　of　the　transaction；

insisting　that　I　should　make　a　note　of　it；　so　anxious　was　he　that　this

incident　in　his　career　should　not　be　lost　in　oblivion！　How　often　has　he　not

recalled　the　infinite　delicacy　of　Mill；　and　his　excessive　scrupulousness；

which　went　so　far　that　he　wished　to　give　a　written　acknowledgment　of　the

repayment　of　the　debt；　of　which　there　was　no　record　whatever　save　in　the

conscience　of　the　debtor！



Scarcely　two　years　later　Mill　died　suddenly　at　Avignon。　Grief　finally

killed　him；　for　this　unexpected　death　seemed　to　have　been　only　the　ultimate

climax　of　the　secret　malady　which　had　so　long　been　undermining　him。



It　was　in　the　outskirts　of　Orange　that　Fabre　for　the　last　time　met　him　and

accompanied　him　upon　a　botanizing　expedition。　He　was　struck　by　his　weakness

and　his　rapid　decline。　Mill　could　hardly　drag　himself　along；　and　when　he

stooped　to　gather　a　specimen　he　had　the　greatest　difficulty　in　rising。　They

were　never　to　meet　again。



A　few　days　lateron　the　8th　May；　1873Fabre　was　invited　to　lunch　with　the

philosopher。　Before　going　to　the　little　house　by　the　cemetery　he　halted；　as

was　his　custom；　at　the　Libraire　Saint…Just。　It　was　there　that　he　learned；

with　amazement；　of　the　tragic　and　sudden　event　which　set　a　so　unexpected

term　to　a　friendship　which　was　doubtless　a　little　remote；　but　which　was；　on

both　sides；　a　singularly　lofty　and　beautiful　attachment。



His　class…books　were　now　bringing　in　scarcely　anything；　their　preparation；

moreover；　involved　an　excessive　expenditure　of　time；　and　gave　him　a　great

deal　of　trouble；　it　is　impossible　to　imagine　what　scrupulous　care；　what

zeal　and　self…respect　Fabre　brought　to　the　execution　of　the　programme　which

he　had　to　fulfil。



To　begin　with；　he　considered　that　he　could　not　enjoy　a　more　splendid

opportunity　to　give　children　a　taste　for　science　and　to　stimulate　their

curiosity　than　by　finding　a　means　to　interest　them；　from　their　earliest

infancy；　in　their　simple　playthings；　even　the　crudest　and　most　inexpensive；

so　true　is　it　that　〃in　the　smallest　mechanical　device　or　engine；　even　in

its　simplest　form；　as　conceived　by　the　industry　of　a　child；　there　is　often

the　germ　of　important　truths；　and；　better　than　books；　the　school　of　the

playroom；　if　gently　disciplined；　will　open　for　the　child　the　windows　of　the

universe。〃



〃The　humble　teetotum；　made　of　a　crust　of　rye…bread　transfixed　by　a　twig；

silently　spinning　on　the　cover　of　a　school…book；　will　give　a　correct　enough

image　of　the　earth；　which　retains　unmoved　its　original　impulse；　and　travels

along　a　great　circle；　at　the　same　time　turning　on　itself。　Gummed　on　its

disc；　scraps　of　paper　properly　coloured　will　tell　us　of　white　light；

decomposable　into　various　coloured　rays。。。



〃There　will　be　the　pop…gun；　with　its　ramrod　and　its　two　plugs　of　tow；　the

hinder　one　expelling　the　foremost　by　the　elasticity　of　the　compressed　air。

Thus　we　get　a　glimpse　of　the　ballistics　of　gunpowder；　and　the　pressure　of

steam　in　engines。。。〃



The　little　hydraulic　fountain　made　of　an　apricot　stone；　patiently　hollowed

and　pierced　with　a　hole　at　either　side；　into　which　two　straws　are　fitted；

one　dipping　into　a　cup　of　water　and　the　other　duly　capped；　〃expelling　a

slender　thread　of　water　in　which　the　sunlight　flickers；〃　will　introduce　us

to　the　true　syphon　of　physics。



〃What　amusing　and　useful　lessons〃　a　well…balanced　scheme　of　education　might

extract　from　this　〃academy　of　childish　ingenuity〃！　（5/6。）



At　this　time　he　was　undertaking　the　education　of　his　own　children。　His

chemistry　lessons　especially　had　a　great　success。　（5/7。）　With　apparatus　of

his　own　devising　and　of　the　simplest　kind；　he　could　perform　a　host　of

elementary　experiments；　the　apparatus　as　a　rule　consisting　of　the　most

ordinary　materials；　such　as　a　common　flask　or　bottle；　an　old　mustard…pot；　a

tumbler；　a　goose…quill　or　a　pipe…stem。



A　series　of　astonishing　phenomena　amazed　their　wondering　eyes。　He　made　them

see；　touch；　taste；　handle；　and　smell；　and　always　〃the　hand　assisted　the

word；〃　always　〃the　example　accompanied　the　precept；〃　for　no　one　more　fully

valued　the　profound　maxim；　so　neglected　and　misunderstood；　that　〃to　see　is

to　know。〃



He　exerted　himself　to　arouse　their　curiosity；　to　provoke　their　questions；

to　discover　their　mistakes；　to　set　their　ideas　in　order；　he　accustomed　them

to　rectify　their　errors　themselves；　and　from　all　this　he　obtained　excellent

material　for　his　books