fabre, poet of science-第7章

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strawberry…tree　grows　amid　the　high　mountains　of　Corsica。　（3/4。）



Moreover；　he　said；　〃the　infinitesimal　calculus　of　Leibnitz　will　show　you

that　the　architecture　of　the　Louvre　is　less　learned　than　that　of　a　snail：

the　eternal　geometer　has　unrolled　his　transcendent　spirals　on　the　shell　of

the　mollusc　that　you；　like　the　vulgar　profane；　know　only　seasoned　with

spinach　and　Dutch　cheese。〃　（3/5。）



For　all　that；　he　did　not　neglect　his　mathematics；　in　which；　on　the

contrary；　he　found　abundant　and　suggestive　recreation。　The　properties　of　a

figure　or　a　curve　which　he　had　newly　discovered　prevented　his　sleep　for

several　nights。



〃All　this　morning　I　have　been　busy　with　star…shaped　polygons；　and　have

proceeded　from　surprise　to　surprise。。。perceiving　in　the　distance；　as　I

advanced；　unforeseen　and　marvellous　consequences。〃



Here；　among　others；　is　one　question　which　suddenly　presented　itself　to　his

mind　〃in　the　midst　of　the　spikes〃　of　his　polygons：　what　would　be　the　period

of　the　rotation　of　the　sun　on　its　own　centre　if　its　atmosphere　reached　as

far　as　the　earth？　And　this　question　gave　rise　to　another；　〃without　which

the　sequence　stops　then　and　there；　number；　space；　movement；　and　order　form

a　single　chain；　the　first　link　of　which　sets　all　the　rest　in　motion。〃

（3/6。）　And　the　hours　went　by　quickly；　so　quickly　with　〃x；〃　the　plants　and

the　shells；　that　〃literally　there　was　no　time　to　eat。〃



For　Fabre　was　born　a　poet；　and　mathematics　borders　upon　poetry；　he　saw　in

algebra　〃the　most　magnificent　flights；〃　and　the　figures　of　analytical

geometry　unrolled　themselves　in　his　imagination　〃in　superb　strophes〃；　the

Ellipse；　〃the　trajectory　of　the　planets；　with　its　two　related　foci；　sending

from　one　to　the　other　a　constant　sum　of　vector　radii〃；　the　Hyperbole；　〃with

repulsive　foci；　the　desperate　curve　which　plunges　into　space　in　infinite

tentacles；　approaching　closer　and　closer　to　a　straight　line；　the　asymptote；

without　ever　finally　attaining　it〃；　the　Parabola；　〃which　seeks　fruitlessly

in　the　infinite　for　its　second；　lost　centre：　it　is　the　trajectory　of　the

bomb：　it　is　the　path　of　certain　comets　which　come　one　day　to　visit　our　sun；

then　flee　into　the　depths　whence　they　never　return。〃　（3/7。）



And　one　fine　morning　we　behold　him　mounting；　thrilled　by　a　lyric　passion；

to　the　lofty　regions　in　which　Number；　〃irresistible；　omnipotent；　keystone

of　the　vault　of　the　universe；　rules　at　once　Time　and　Space。〃　He　ascends；　he

rushes　forward；　farther　than　the　chariot



〃Beyond　the　Husbandman　who　ploughs　in　space

And　sows　the　suns　in　furrows　of　the　skies。〃



He　ascends　those　tracks　of　flame；　where　on　high



　　　　〃in　those　lists　inane

Wise　regulator；　Number　holds　the　reins

　　Of　those　indomitable　steeds；　

Number　has　set　a　bit　i'　the　foaming　mouths

Of　these　Leviathans；　and　with　nervous　hand

　　Controls　them　in　their　tracks；　



Their　smoking　flanks　beneath　the　yoke　in　vain

Quiver；　their　nostrils　vainly　void　as　foam

Dense　tides　of　lava；　and　in　vain　they　rear；　

For　Number　on　their　mettled　haunches　poised

Holds　them；　or　duly　with　the　rein　controls；　

Or　in　their　flanks　buries　his　spur　divine。〃　（3/8。）



Later　he　confessed　all　that　he　owed；　as　a　writer；　to　geometry；　whose　severe

discipline　forms　and　exercises　the　mind；　gives　it　the　salutary　habit　of

precision　and　lucidity；　and　puts　it　on　its　guard　against　terms　which　are

incorrect　or　unduly　vague；　giving　it　qualities　far　superior　to　all　the

〃tropes　of　rhetoric。〃



It　was　then　that　he　became　the　pupil　of　Requien　of　Avignon；　the　retired

botanist；　a　lofty　but　somewhat　limited　mind；　who　was　hardly　capable　of

opening　up　other　horizons　to　him。　But　Requien　did　at　least　enrich　his

memory　by　a　prodigious　quantity　of　names　of　plants　with　which　he　had　not

been　acquainted。　He　revealed　to　him　the　immense　flora　of　Corsica；　which　he

himself　had　come　to　study；　and　for　which　Fabre　was　to　gather　such　a　vast

amount　of　material。



Fabre　found　in　Requien　more　especially　a　friend　〃proof　against　anything〃；

and　when　the　latter　died　almost　suddenly　at　Bonifacio；　Fabre　was

overwhelmed　by　the　sad　news。　On　that　very　day　he　had　on　the　table　before

him　a　parcel　of　plants　gathered　for　the　dead　botanist。　〃I　cannot　let　my

eyes　rest　upon　it；〃　he　wrote　at　the　time；　〃without　feeling　my　heart　wrung

and　my　sight　dim　with　tears。〃　（3/9。）



But　the　most　admirably　fruitful　encounter；　as　it　exercised　the　profoundest

influence　upon　his　destiny；　was　his　meeting　with　Moquin…Tandon；　a　Toulouse

professor　who　followed　Requien　to　Corsica；　to　complete　the　work　which　the

latter　had　left　unfinished：　the　complete　inventory　of　the　prodigious　wealth

of　vegetation；　of　the　innumerable　species　and　varieties　which　Fabre　and　he

collected　together；　on　the　slopes　and　summits　of　Monte　Renoso；　often

botanizing　〃up　in　the　clouds；　mantle　on　back　and　numb　with　cold。〃　（3/10。）



Moquin…Tandon　was　not　merely　a　skilful　naturalist；　he　was　one　of　the　most

eloquent　and　scholarly　scientists　of　his　time。　Fabre　owed　to　him；　not　his

genius；　to　be　sure；　but　the　definite　indication　of　the　path　he　was　finally

to　take；　and　from　which　he　was　never　again　to　stray。



Moquin…Tandon；　a　brilliant　writer　and　〃an　ingenious　poet　in　his

Montpellerian　dialect；〃　（3/11。）　taught　Fabre　never　to　forget　the　value　of

style　and　the　importance　of　form；　even　in　the　exposition　of　a　purely

descriptive　science　such　as　botany。　He　did　even　more；　by　one　day　suddenly

showing　Fabre；　between　the　fruit　and　the　cheese；　〃in　a　plate　of　water；〃　the

anatomy　of　the　snail。　This　was　his　first　introduction　to　his　true　destiny

before　the　final　revelation　of　which　I　shall　presently　speak。　Fabre

understood　then　and　there　that　he　could　do　decidedly　better　than　to　stick

to　mathematics；　though　his　whole　career　would　feel　the　effects　of　that

study。



〃Geometers　are　made；　naturalists　are　born　ready…made；〃　he　wrote　to　his

brother；　still　excited　by　this　incident；　〃and　you　know　better　than　any　one

whether　natural　history　is　not　my　favourite　science。〃　（3/12。）



》From　that　time　forward　he　began　to　collect　not　only　dead；　inert；　or

dessicated　forms；　mere　material　for　study；　with　the　aim　of　satisfying　his

curiosity；　he　began　to　dissect　with　ardour；　a　thing　he　had　never　done

before。　He　housed　his　tiny　guests　in　his　cupboard；　and　occupied　himself；　as

he　was　always　to　do　in　the　future；　with　the　smaller　living　creatures　only。



〃I　am　dissecting　the　infinitely　little；　my　scalpels　are　tiny　daggers　which

I　make　myself　out　of　fine　needles；　my　marble　slab　is　the　bottom　of　a

saucer；　my　prisoners　are　lodged　by　the　dozen　in　old　match…boxes；　maxime

miranda　in　minimis。〃　（3/13。）



Roaming　at　night　along　the　marshy　beaches；　he　contracted　fever；　and　several

terrible　attacks；　accompanied　by　alarming　tremors；　left　him　so　bloodless

and　feeble　that；　much　against　his　will；　he　had　to　beg　for　relief；　and　even

insist　upon　his　prompt　return　to　the　mainland。　in　the　meantime　he　obtained

sick…leave；　and　returned　to　Provence　after　a　terrible　crossing　which　lasted

no　less　than　three　days　and　two　nights；　on　a　sea　so　furious　that　he　gave

himself　up　for　lost。　（3/14。）



Slowly　he　recovered　his　health；　and　after　a　second　but　brief　stay　at

Ajaccio　he　received　the　news　of　his　appointment　to　the　lycée　of　Avignon。

（3/15。）



He　returned　with　his　imagination　enriched　and　his　mind　expanded；　with

settled　ideas；　and　thoroughly　ripe　for　his　task。





CHAPTER　4。　AT　AVIGNON。



The　resolute　worker　resumed　his　indefatigable　labours　with　an　ardour

greater　than　ever；　for　now　he　was　haunted　by　a　noble　ambition；　that　of

becoming　a　teacher　of　the　superior　grade；　and　of　〃talking　plants　and

animals〃　in　a　chair　of　the　faculty。　With　this　end　in　view　he　added　to　his

two　diplomasthose　of　mathematics　and　physicsa　third　certificate；　that

of　natural　sciences。　His　success　was　triumphant。



Already　tenacious　and　fearless　in　affirming　what　he　believed　to　be　the

truth；　he　astonished　and　bewildered　the　professors　of　Toulouse。　Among