fabre, poet of science-第49章

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pushed　his　career　as　far　as　is　in　his　power；　without　having　worked；　on　his

feet；　until　the　very　hour　when　the　light　of　this　world　is　suddenly

withdrawn；　and　his　eyes　open　upon　the　infinite　life；　beyond　the　infinite

worlds　of　space。



The　festival　took　place　on　the　3rd　of　April　of　the　year　1910；　and　was

touching　in　its　simplicity。



What　an　unforgettable　day　in　the　life　of　Fabre！　That　morning　the　gate　of

the　Harmas　was　left　open　to　all；　and　many　of　the　people　of　Sérignan　who

invaded　the　garden　were　able　to　look　for　the　first　time　on　the　face　of

their　fellow…citizen；　who　had　so　long　lived　among　them；　and　whom　they　had

now；　to　their　astonishment；　discovered。



But　among　the　crowd　of　friends　and　admirers　who；　coming　from　all　parts；

pressed　around　the　little　pink　house；　the　most　amazed　of　all　was　Marius；

the　blind　cabinet…maker；　unable　to　contain　his　intense　delight　at　the

sudden　burning　of　so　much　incense　before　his　idol；　for　to　him　it　had　seemed

that　this　day　of　apotheosis　would　never　dawn！



For　nothing　was　certain；　although　the　day　of　the　jubilee　had　long　been

fixed。　In　the　first　place　there　had　been　serious　defections　in　the　ranks　of

the　official　personages　who　were　to　take　part　in　the　ceremony。　Then　the

weather　was　terrible　for　the　time　of　year；　the　spring　had　commenced

gloomily；　a　season　of　floods　and　catastrophes。　But　on　this　morning　the　rain

of　days　had　ceased　to　fall；　and　suddenly　the　sun　appeared。



Among　other　compliments　and　marks　of　homage　the　old　man　was　presented　with

a　golden　plaque；　on　one　side　of　which　Sicard；　who　stood　revealed　as　a

master　of　the　burin；　had　engraved　his　portrait　with　rare　fidelity。　The

reverse　was　resplendent　with　one　of　the　most　beautiful　syntheses　which　the

history　of　art　has　known；　a　surprising　allegory；　in　which　the　imagination

of　the　artist　evoked　the　man　of　science；　the　singer　of　the　insects；　the

landscape　which　had　seen　the　birth　of　so　many　little　lives；　and　the　village

amid　the　olive…trees；　in　front　of　the　sun…steeped　Ventoux。



At　this　festival；　the　jubilee　of　a　scientist；　the　scientists　were　least

numerous。



The　banquet　was　given　in　the　large　room　of　a　cafe　in　the　midst　of　Sérignan；

in　order；　no　doubt；　that　in　this　humble　life　even　glory　should　be　modest。



As　Fabre　could　not　walk；　he　was　helped　into　the　carriage　of　ceremony；　which

was　sent　expressly　from　Orange；　and　the　little　procession；　which　was

swelled　by　the　municipal　choral　society；　spurred　on　by　Marius；　moved　slowly

off　along　the　sole　central　street。



It　was　a　great　family　repast：　one　of　those　love…feasts　in　which　all

communicate　in　a　single　thought。



Edmond　Perrier　brought　the　naturalist　the　homage　of　the　Institute；　and

expressed　in　unaffected　terms　the　just　admiration　which　he　himself　felt。

The　better　to　praise　him；　he　gave　a　summary　of　his　admirable　career；　and

his　immortal　work。　At　the　evocation　of　this　long　past　of　labour　Fabre

regretted　his　poor　vanished　joys；　〃the　sole　moments　of　happiness　in　his

life。〃



Moved　to　tears；　by　his　memories　and　by　the　simple　and　pious　homage　at　last

rendered　to　his　genius；　he　wept；　and　many；　seeing　him　weep；　wept　with　him。



Others　spoke　in　the　name　of　the　great　anonymous　crowd　of　friends；　of　all

those　who　had　found　a　source　of　infinite　enjoyment　in　his　works。　At　the

same　time　the　greatest　writers；　the　greatest　poets　sent　on　the　same　day；　at

the　same　hour；　their　salutation　or　eloquent　messages　to　the　〃Virgil　of　the

insects〃　（16/21。）；　to　the　〃good　magician　who　knew　the　language　of　the

myriad　little　creatures　of　the　fields。〃　（16/22。）



Doubtless　he　would　sooner　or　later　have　received　full　justice；　but　without

this　circumstance　it　is　permissible　to　add　that　the　end　of　his　life　would

have　passed　amidst　the　completest　oblivion；　and　that　he　would　have　taken

leave　of　the　world　without　attracting　any　particular　attention。　His　death

would　have　occurred　unperceived；　and　when　the　little　vault　of　Vaison　stone；

up　in　the　small　square　enclosure　of　pebbles　which　serves　as　the　village

cemetery；　where　those　he　has　loved　await　him；　came　to　be　opened　for　the

last　time；　they　would　hardly　have　troubled　to　close　it　again。



Yet　the　honours　paid　him　were　far　from　being　such　as　he　merited。



Why；　at　this　jubilee　of　the　greatest　of　the　entomologists；　was　not　a　single

appointed　representative　of　entomology　present？　（16/22。）



The　fact　is　that　the　majority　of　those　who　〃amid　the　living　seek　only　for

corpses；〃　according　to　the　expression　of　Bacon；　unwilling　to　see　in　Fabre

anything　more　than　an　imaginative　writer；　and　being　themselves　incapable　of

understanding　the　beautiful　and　of　distinguishing　it　in　the　true；

reproached　him；　perhaps　with　more　jealousy　than　conviction；　with　having

introduced　literature　into　the　domains　of　science。



Other　entomological　specialists　accuse　him　of　presenting　in　the　guise　of

science　discoveries　which　have　been　made　by　others。　But　in　the　first　place；

as　he　has　read　very　little；　he　certainly　did　not　know　all　that　had　been

done　by　others；　and　what　matter　if　he　had　discovered　nothing　essential

concerning　this　or　that　insect　if　the　result　of　his　study　of　it　has　been　to

impregnate　it　with　something　new；　or　to　touch　it　with　the　breath　of　life？



Others；　finally；　who　wished　to　see　with　their　own　eyes　the　proof　of　his

statements；　have　reproached　him　with　a　few　errors；　but　he　observed　so

skilfully　that　these　errors；　if　any　have　really　slipped　into　his　books；

cannot　be　very　serious。



He　was　one　of　the　glories　of　the　University；　but　it　failed　to　add　to　the

brilliance　of　this　ceremony；　and　it　is　to　be　regretted　that　the　Government

could　not　amid　its　temporary　preoccupations　have　done　with　all　the

spontaneity　that　might　have　been　looked　for　the　one　thing　which　might　on

this　memorable　date　have　atoned　for　its　unjust　obliviousness。　Since　Duruy

had　created　Fabre　a　chevalier　of　the　Empire　more　than　forty　years　had　gone

by；　and　in　this　long　interval　Fabre　was　absolutely　ignored　by　the

authorities。　While　the　State　daily　raises　so　many　commonplace　men　to　the

highest　honours；　it　was　afterwards　needful　to　procure　the　intervention　of

influential　persons；　to　justify　his　worth　and　to　prove　his　deserts；　in

order　to　obtain　his　promotion　through　one　degree　of　rank　in　that　Legion　of

Honour　which　his　eminent　services　had　so　long　adorned。



This　tardy　reparation　at　least　had　the　result　of　shedding　a　twilight　of

glory　over　the　evening　of　his　life；　and　from　that　day　he　suddenly　appeared

in　his　true　place　and　took　his　rank　as　a　man　of　the　first　order。　Everybody

began　to　read　him；　and　presently　no　one　was　willing　to　seem　ignorant　of

him；　for　more　of　his　〃Souvenirs　entomologiques〃　were　sold　in　a　few　months

than　had　been　disposed　of　in　more　than　twenty　years。　（16/24。）



At　last　Fabre　experienced　not　only　glory　and　renown；　but　also　popularity。

This　was　only　justice；　for　his　is　essentially　a　popular　genius。　Has　he　not

striven　all　his　life　to　place　the　marvels　of　science　within　reach　of　all？

And　has　he　not　written　above　all　for　the　children　of　the　people？



So　at　last　people　have　learned　the　way　to　the　Harmas；　they　go　thither　now

in　crowds；　to　visit　the　enclosure　and　the　modest　laboratory；　as　to　a

veritable　place　of　pilgrimage　which　attracts　from　afar　many　fervent

admirers。



Some；　it　is　true；　go　thither　to　see　him　simply　as　an　object　of　curiosity；

but　even　among　these　there　are　those　who　on　returning　thence；　full　of

enthusiasm　for　what　they　have　seen；　find　the　flowers　of　the　fields　more

sweet　and　fragile；　and　the　wild　fragrance　of　the　woods　and　hedges　more

voluptuous；　and　the　green　of　the　trees　more　tender。　They　have　learnt　to

look　at　the　earth　and　to　〃kneel　in　the　grass。〃



Scientists　come　to　chat　with　the　scientist。　Others　come　to　salute　the

primary　schoolman；　the　lay　instructor；　the　great　pedagogue　whose　glory　is

reflected　upon　all　the　primary　schools　of　France。



Those　who　cannot　visit　him　write；　telling　him　of　all　the　pleasure　whic