fabre, poet of science-第50章
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reflected upon all the primary schools of France。
Those who cannot visit him write; telling him of all the pleasure which
they owe him; thanking him for long and delightful hours passed in the
reading of his books; expressing the hope that he may yet live many years;
and still further increase the number of his 〃Souvenirs。〃
Some ask him a host of questions relating to entomology or philosophy;
others ask him for impossible answers to some of the fascinating and
mysterious problems which he has expounded; women confide in him their
little private griefs or their intimate sorrows; a naive form of homage;
but a thousand times more touching than any other; and one that shows how
profound has been the beneficent influence of his books upon certain
isolated minds; and what consolation can be derived from science when it
finds a sufficiently eloquent voice to interpret it。
As he can work no longer; these visits now fill his life; formally so
occupied; and in the midst of all the sympathy extended to him he is
sensible; not of the twilight; but of a sunrise; he feels that his work has
been good; that an infinity of minds are learning through him to regard
plants and animals with greater affection; and that the consideration of
men; finally directed upon his work; will not readily exhaust it; for it is
one of the Bibles of Nature。
NOTES。
NOTES TO INTRODUCTION。
Introduction/1。 Letters to his brother; 1898…1900。
Introduction/2。 I have made some valuable 〃finds〃 here; among other pieces
cited the fragment on 〃Playthings;〃 the curious description of the
〃Eclipse;〃 and the poem on 〃Number〃 are here published for the first time。
Introduction/3。 This negligence in the matter of correspondence is not
least among the causes which have mitigated against his popularity。
NOTES TO CHAPTER 1。
1/1。 〃It is a country that has very little charm。〃 To his brother; 18th
August; 1846。
1/2。 〃Practicien; homme d'affaires ou de chicane〃: roughly; 〃practitioner;
man of business or law〃: so his father is described in his birth
certificate。
1/3。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 2nd series; chapter 4; and 7th series;
chapter 19。
1/4。 Id。; 8th series; chapter 8。
1/5。 To his brother; 15th August; 1896。
1/6。 Id。 〃As brothers; we are one only; but in virtue of our different
tastes we are two; and I am amused and interested where you might well be
bored。〃
1/7。 Frédéric Fabre; like his brother; an ex…scholar of the normal primary
school of Vaucluse; was first of all teacher at Lapalud (Vaucluse); then
professor in the communal college of Orange。 He was director of the primary
school attached to the normal school of Avignon; where he voluntarily
retired from teaching in 1859。 He then became; successively; secretary to
the Chamber of Commerce of Avignon; director of the Vaucluse Docks; and
finally director of the Crillon Canal; which position he still occupies
(December; 1912)。
1/8。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10th series; chapter 9。
1/9。 Among his innumerable manuscripts I have found a vast number of little
poems; which date from this period。
1/10。 It was then that he gave up his position to his brother Frédéric; who
had continually followed closely in his steps; and who in turn had just
obtained the qualification of pupil…teacher and bursar (August; 1842)。
1/11。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10 series; chapter 21。
1/12。 To his brother; 2nd and 9th of June; 1851。
NOTES TO CHAPTER 2。
2/1。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 20; and 9th series;
chapter 13。
2/2。 Id。; 6th series; chapter 21。
2/3。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th June; 1850。
2/4。 Id。; id。
2/5。 Id。; from Carpentras; 15th August; 1846。
2/6。 Id。; from Ajaccio; 10th June; 1850。
2/7。 Id。; from Carpentras; 15th August; 1846。
2/8。 Id。; id。
2/9。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 14。
2/10。 To his brother; from Carpentras; 3rd September; 1848。
2/11。 Id。; 8th September; 1848。
2/12。 Id。; id。
2/13。 Id。; 3rd September; 1848。
2/14。 Id。; id。
2/15。 Letter to the Rector of the N?mes Academy; 29th September; 1848。
2/16。 To his brother; 29th September; 1848。
NOTES TO CHAPTER 3。
3/1。 To his father; from Ajaccio; 14th April; 1850。
3/2。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 1851。
3/3。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 9th June; 1851。
〃I have set to work upon a conchology of Corsica; which I hope soon to
publish。〃
3/4。 The Helix Raspaillii。
3/5。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th June; 1850。
3/6。 Id。; id。
3/7。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 9th series; chapter 14。
3/8。 Number; (Le NombreARITHMOS); poem; Ajaccio; September; 1852。
3/9。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 2nd June; 1851。
3/10。 Id。; 10th October; 1852; and 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10th series;
chapter 21。
3/11。 Fr。 Mistral; 〃Mémoires。〃
Moquin…Tandon; born at Montpellier; was professor of Natural History at
Marseilles; at Toulouse; and in Paris。
3/12。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th October; 1852。
3/13。 Id。
3/14。 To his brother; from Carpentras; 3rd December; 1851。
〃Our crossing was atrocious。 Never have I seen so terrible a sea; and that
the packet…boat was not broken up by the force of the waves must have been
due to the fact that our time had not yet come。 On two or three occasions I
thought my last moment was at hand; I leave you to imagine what a terrible
experience I had。 In ordinary weather the packet by which we travelled
makes the voyage from Ajaccio to Marseilles in about eighteen hours; it is
said to be the fastest steamer on the Mediterranean。 On this occasion it
took three days and two nights。〃
3/15。 January; 1853。
NOTES TO CHAPTER 4。
4/1。 To his brother; from Avignon; 1st August; 1854。
〃I have arrived at Toulouse; where I have passed the best examination one
could possibly wish。 I have been accepted as licentiate with the most
flattering compliments; and the expenses of the examination should be
returned to me。 The examination was of a higher level than I had expected。〃
4/2。 To M。 (of the Institute); from Avignon; 1854。
(Letter communicated to M。 Belleudy; prefect of Vaucluse; by M。 Vollon;
painter。)
4/3。 Id。
4/4。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 10th October; 1852。
4/5。 Observations concerning the habits of the Cerceris and the cause of
the long preservation of the coleoptera with which it provisions its
larvae。〃Annales de Sc。 natur。;〃 4th series; 1855。
4/6。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 10th series; chapter 22。
4/7。 〃I had only one idea: to free myself; to leave the lycée; where; not
being a fellow; I was treated as a subordinate。 An inspector…general told
me frankly one day; 'You will never amount to anything if you are not a
fellow' (agrégé)。 'These distinctions disgust me;' I replied。〃
(Conversations。)
4/8。 To his brother; from Ajaccio; 14th January; 1850。
4/9。 Inquiries respecting the tubercles of Himantoglossum hircinum。 Thesis
in Botany; 1855。
4/10。 Inquiries respecting the anatomy of the reproductive organs; and the
developments of the Myriapoda。 Thesis in Zoology; 1855。
4/11。 Prize for experimental physiology; 1856。
4/12。 Letter to Léon Dufour; 1st February; 1857。
4/13。 〃The Origin of Species;〃 1857 (?); translated by Barbier; page 15。
4/14。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 1; and 5th series;
chapter 1。
4/15。 Id。; 1st series; chapter 16。
4/16。 Id。; 1st series; chapter one。
4/17。 Henry Devillario; magistrate at Carpentras; where he performed his
duties as juge d'instruction until his death。 A notable collector and
distinguished publicist。
Dr。 Bordone; to…day at Frontignan。 Vayssières; professor of Zoology in the
faculty of sciences at Marseilles。
4/18。 〃Souvenirs entomologiques;〃 1st series; chapter 13。