The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



formed only the first part of his programme, 

 which comprised also physics and chemistry. 

 These, no doubt, were less abstruse sciences, 

 but the necessary equipment was also less 

 simple. He needed a laboratory; he could 

 not run to the expense of one; so he made 

 one, an " impossible " one, by force of in- 

 dustry. 



In this desperate struggle what became of 

 the favourite branch of science of this great 

 nature-lover? It was necessarily sacrificed. 



" I reprimanded myself," he says, " at the 

 slightest longing for emancipation, fearing to 

 let myself be seduced by some new grass, 

 some unknown beetle. I did violence to my- 

 self. My books on natural history were con- 

 demned to oblivion, relegated to the bottom 

 of a trunk." 



A fine lesson in perseverance in work and 

 sacrifice, which all those who are inspired by 

 some noble desire or merely by some legiti- 

 mate ambition will find useful and comfort- 

 ing to contemplate : 



" Qui studet optatam cursu contingere metam 

 Multa tulit f ecitque puer, sudavit et alsit ; 

 Abstinult venere et vino." ^ 



But this matter must be expounded in 

 greater detail, were it only to confirm the 

 1 Horace, Ars Poetica, 412. 

 100 



