fabre, poet of science-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Mistral　at　Maillane。



Starting　from　Orange　and　crossing　the　Aygues；　a　torrent　whose　muddy　waters

are　lost　in　the　Rh？ne；　but　whose　bed　is　dried　by　the　July　and　August　suns；

leaving　only　a　desert　of　pebbles；　where　the　Mason…bee　builds　her　pretty

turrets　of　rock…work；　we　come　presently　to　the　Sérignaise　country；　an　arid；

stony　tract；　planted　with　vines　and　olives；　coloured　a　rusty　red；　or

touched　here　and　there　with　almost　a　hue　of　blood；　and　here　and　there　a

grove　of　cypress　makes　a　sombre　blot。　To　the　north　runs　a　long　black　line

of　hills；　covered　with　box　and　ilex　and　the　giant　heather　of　the　south。　Far

in　the　distance；　to　the　east；　the　immense　plain　is　closed　in　by　the　wall　of

Saint…Amant　and　the　ridge　of　the　Dentelle；　behind　which　the　lofty　Ventoux

rears　its　rocky；　cloven　bosom　abruptly　to　the　clouds。　At　the　end　of　a　few

miles　of　dusty　road；　swept　by　the　powerful　breath　of　the　mistral；　we

suddenly　reach　a　little　village。　It　is　a　curious　little　community；　with　its

central　street　adorned　by　a　double　row　of　plane…trees；　its　leaping

fountains；　and　its　almost　Italian　air。　The　houses　are　lime…washed；　with

flat　roofs；　and　sometimes；　at　the　side　of　some　small　or　decrepit　dwelling；

we　see　the　unexpected　curves　of　a　loggia。　At　a　distance　the　facade　of　the

church　has　the　harmonious　lines　of　a　little　antique　temple；　close　at　hand

is　the　graceful　campanile；　an　old　octagonal　tower　surmounted　by　a　narrow

mitre　wrought　in　hammered　iron；　in　the　midst　of　which　are　seen　the　black

profiles　of　the　bells。



I　shall　never　forget　my　first　visit。　It　was　in　the　month　of　August；　and　the

whole　countryside　was　ringing　with　the　song　of　the　cicadae。　I　had　applied

to　a　job…master　of　Orange；　counting　on　him　to　take　me　thither；　but　he　had

never　driven　any　one　to　Sérignan；　had　hardly　heard　of　Fabre；　and　did　not

know　where　his　house　was。　At　length；　however；　we　contrived　to　find　it。　At

the　entrance　of　the　little　market…town；　in　a　solitary　corner；　in　the　centre

of　an　enclosure　of　lofty　walls；　which　were　taller　than　the　crests　of　the

pines　and　cypresses；　his　dwelling　was　hidden　away。　No　sound　proceeded　from

it；　but　for　the　baying　of　the　faithful　Tom　I　do　not　think　I　should　have

dared　to　knock　on　the　great　door；　which　turned　slowly　on　its　hinges。　A　pink

house　with　green　shutters；　half…hidden　amid　the　sombre　foliage；　appears　at

the　end　of　an　alley　of　lilacs；　〃which　sway　in　the　spring　under　the　weight

of　their　balmy　thyrsi。〃　Before　the　house　are　the　shady　plane…trees；　where

during　the　burning　hours　of　August　the　cicada　of　the　flowering　ash；　the

deafening　cacan；　concealed　beneath　the　leaves；　fills　the　hot　atmosphere

with　its　eager　cries；　the　only　sound　that　disturbs　the　profound　silence　of

this　solitude。



Before　us；　beyond　a　little　wall　of　a　height　to　lean　upon；　on　an　isolated

lawn；　beneath　the　shade　of　great　trees　with　interwoven　boughs；　a　circular

basin　displays　its　still　surface；　across　which　the　skating　Hydrometra

traces　its　wide　circles。　Then；　suddenly；　we　see　an　opening　into　the　most

extraordinary　and　unexpected　of　gardens；　a　wild　park；　full　of　strenuous

vegetation；　which　hides　the　pebbly　soil　in　all　directions；　a　chaos　of

plants　and　bushes；　created　throughout　especially　to　attract　the　insects　of

the　neighbourhood。



Thickets　of　wild　laurel　and　dense　clumps　of　lavender　encroach　upon　the

paths；　alternating　with　great　bushes　of　coronilla；　which　bar　the　flight　of

the　butterfly　with　their　yellow…winged　flowers；　and　whose　searching

fragrance　embalms　all　the　air　about　them。



It　is　as　though　the　neighbouring　mountain　had　one　day　departed；　leaving

here　its　thistles；　its　dogberry…trees；　its　brooms；　its　rushes；　its　juniper…

bushes；　its　laburnums；　and　its　spurges。　There　too　grows　the　〃strawberry

tree；〃　whose　red　fruits　wear　so　familiar　an　appearance；　and　tall　pines；　the

giants　of　this　〃pigmy　forest。〃　There　the　Japanese　privet　ripens　its　black

berries；　mingled　with　the　Paulownia　and　the　Cratoegus　with　their　tender

green　foliage。　Coltsfoot　mingles　with　violets；　clumps　of　sage　and　thyme　mix

their　fragrance　with　the　scent　of　rosemary　and　a　host　of　balsamic　plants。

Amid　the　cacti；　their　fleshy　leaves　bristling　with　prickles；　the　periwinkle

opens　its　scattered　blossoms；　while　in　a　corner　the　serpent　arum　raises　its

cornucopia；　in　which　those　insects　that　love　putrescence　fall　engulfed；

deceived　by　the　horrible　savour　of　its　exhalations。



It　is　in　the　spring　above　all　that　one　should　see　this　torrent　of　verdure；

when　the　whole　enclosure　awakens　in　its　festival　attire；　decked　with　all

the　flowers　of　May；　and　the　warm　air；　full　of　the　hum　of　insects；　is

perfumed　with　a　thousand　intoxicating　scents。　It　is　in　the　spring　that　one

should　see　the　〃Harmas；〃　the　open…air　observatory；　〃the　laboratory　of

living　entomology〃　（6/1。）；　a　name　and　a　spot　which　Fabre　has　made　famous

throughout　the　world。



I　enter　the　dining…room；　whose　wide；　half…closed　shutters　allow　only　a

half…light　to　enter　between　the　printed　curtains。　Rush…bottomed　chairs；　a

great　table；　about　which　seven　persons　daily　take　their　places；　a　few　poor

pieces　of　furniture；　and　a　simple　bookcase；　such　are　all　the　contents。　On

the　mantel；　a　clock　in　black　marble；　a　precious　souvenir；　the　only　present

which　Fabre　received　at　the　time　of　his　exodus　from　Avignon；　it　was　given

by　his　old　pupils；　the　young　girls　who　used　to　attend　the　free　lectures　at

Saint…Martial's。



There；　every　afternoon；　half　lying　on　a　little　sofa；　the　naturalist　has　the

habit　of　taking　a　short　siesta。　This　light　repose；　even　without　sleep；　was

of　old　enough　to　restore　his　energies；　exhausted　by　hours　of　labour。

Thenceforth　he　was　once　more　alert；　and　ready　for　the　remainder　of　the　day。



But　already　he　is　on　his　feet；　bareheaded；　in　his　waistcoat；　his　silk

necktie　carelessly　fastened　under　the　soft　turned…down　collar　of　his　half…

open　shirt；　his　gesture；　in　the　shadowy　chamber；　full　of　welcome。



Fran？ois　Sicard；　in　his　faultless　medal　and　his　admirable　bust；　has

succeeded　with　rare　felicity　in　reproducing　for　posterity　this　rugged；

shaven　face；　full　of　laborious　years；　a　peasant　face；　stamped　with

originality；　under　the　wide　felt　hat　of　Provence；　touched　with　geniality

and　benevolence；　yet　reflecting　a　world　of　energy。　Sicard　has　fixed　for

ever　this　strange　mask；　the　thin　cheeks；　ploughed　into　deep　furrows；　the

strained　nose；　the　pendent　wrinkles　of　the　throat；　the　thin；　shrivelled

lips；　with　an　indescribable　fold　of　bitterness　at　the　corners　of　the　mouth。

The　hair；　tossed　back；　falls　in　fine　curls　over　the　ears；　revealing　a　high；

rounded　forehead；　obstinate　and　full　of　thought。　But　what　chisel；　what

graver　could　reproduce　the　surprising　shrewdness　of　that　gaze；　eclipsed

from　time　to　time　by　a　convulsive　tremor　of　the　eyelids！　What　Holbein；　what

Chardin　could　render　the　almost　extraordinary　brilliance　of　those　black

eyes；　those　dilated　pupils：　the　eyes　of　a　prophet；　a　seer；　singularly　wide

and　deeply　set；　as　though　gazing　always　upon　the　mystery　of　things；　as

though　made　expressly　to　scrutinize　Nature　and　decipher　her　enigmas？　Above

the　orbits；　two　short；　bristling　eyebrows　seem　set　there　to　guide　the

vision；　one；　by　dint　of　knitting　itself　above　the　magnifying…glass；　has

retained　an　indelible　fold　of　continual　attention；　the　other；　on　the

contrary；　always　updrawn；　has　the　look　of　defying　the　interlocutor；　of

foreseeing　his　objections；　of　waiting　with　an　ever…ready　return…thrust。

Such　is　this　striking　physiognomy；　which　one　who　has　seen　it　cannot　forget。



There；　in　this　〃hermit's　retreat；〃　as　he　himself　has　defined　it；　the　sage

is　voluntarily　sequestered；　a　true　saint　of　science；　an　ascetic　living　only

on　fruits；　vegetables；　and　a　little　wine；　so　in　love　with　retirement　that

even　in　the　village　he　was　for　a　long　time　almost　unknown；　so　careful　was

he　to　go　round　instead　of　through　it　on　his　way　to　the　neighbouring

mountain；　where　he　would　often　spend　whole　days　alone　with　wild　nature。



It　is　in　this