The Life of Jean Henri Fabre 



only given his style the relief and the colour 

 of his subject. The danger of such scien- 

 tific records when they are written by a man 

 of letters and a poet like Fabre into the 

 bargain is that there is a danger of their 

 being written with more art than exactitude. 

 And it is apparently this that causes so many 

 scientists to distrust science that also claims 

 to be literature. Fabre was not always im- 

 mune from this species of discredit which the 

 writer may so easily cast upon the scientist. 

 But this unjust accusation was long ago with- 

 drawn, and to-day all are agreed as to the 

 absolute truthfulness of his portraits and his 

 records. He has talent and imagination, it 

 is true, but he has applied his talent to the 

 sincere investigation of the facts, and his 

 imagination only to achieve the more com- 

 plete and faithful expression of the reality. 

 A great thinker once uttered this profound 

 saying: " Things are perceived in their truth 

 only when they are perceived in their 

 poetry." This saying might serve as a motto 

 for the whole of Fabre's entomological 

 work. 



To collect the data which he requires for 

 the foundation of his philosophical struc- 

 tures, Fabre is not content with observing 

 the insect as it lives and labours when left to 



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