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Chapter 12 The Last Supper
FOR at this point the soothsayer interrupted the greeting of Zarathustra and his guests: he pressed forward as one who had no time to lose, seized Zarathustra’s hand and exclaimed: «But Zarathustra!
One thing is more necessary than the other, so say you yourself: well, one thing is now more necessary to me than all others.
A word at the right time: did you not invite me to table? And here are many who have made long journeys. You do not mean to feed us merely with speeches?
Besides, all of you have thought too much about freezing, drowning, suffocating, and other bodily dangers: none of you, however, have thought of my danger, namely, perishing of hunger-«
(Thus spoke the soothsayer. When Zarathustra’s animals, however, heard these words, they ran away in terror. For they saw that all they had brought home during the day would not be enough to fill the one soothsayer.)
«Likewise perishing of thirst,» continued the soothsayer. «And al-though I hear water splashing here like words of wisdom- that is to say, plenteously and unweariedly, I- want wine!
Not every one is a born water-drinker like Zarathustra. Neither does water suit weary and withered ones: we deserve wine- it alone gives im-mediate vigour and improvised health!»
On this occasion, when the soothsayer was longing for wine, it happened that the king on the left, the silent one, also found expression for once. «We took care,» said he, «about wine, I, along with my brother the king on the right: we have enough of wine,- a whole ass-load of it. So there is nothing lacking but bread.»
«Bread,» replied Zarathustra, laughing when he spoke, «it is precisely bread that hermits have not. But man does not live by bread alone, but also by the flesh of good lambs, of which I have two:
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-These shall we slaughter quickly, and cook spicily with sage: it is so that I like them. And there is also no lack of roots and fruits, good enough even for the fastidious and dainty,- nor of nuts and other riddles for cracking.
Thus will we have a good repast in a little while. But whoever wishes to eat with us must also give a hand to the work, even the kings. For with Zarathustra even a king may be a cook.»
This proposal appealed to the hearts of all of them, save that the vol-untary beggar objected to the flesh and wine and spices.
«Just hear this glutton Zarathustra!» said he jokingly: «do one go into caves and high mountains to make such repasts?
Now indeed do I understand what he once taught us: Blessed be mod-erate poverty!’ And why he wishes to do away with beggars.»
«Be of good cheer,» replied Zarathustra, «as I am. Abide by your cus-toms, you excellent one: grind your corn, drink your water, praise your cooking,- if only it make you glad!
I am a law only for my own; I am not a law for all. Yet he who belongs to me must be strong of bone and light of foot,-
-Joyous in fight and feast, no sulker, no John o’ Dreams, ready for the hardest task as for the feast, healthy and hale.
The best belongs to mine and me; and if it be not given us, then do we take it:- the best food, the purest sky, the strongest thoughts, the fairest women!»-
Thus spoke Zarathustra; the king on the right however answered and said: «Strange! Did one ever hear such sensible things out of the mouth of a wise man?
And verily, it is the strangest thing in a wise man, if over and above, he be still sensible, and not an ass.»
Thus spoke the king on the right and wondered; the ass however, with ill-will, said you-A to his remark. This however was the beginning of that long repast which is called «The Supper» in the history-books. At this there was nothing else spoken of but the higher man.
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Chapter 13 The Higher Man
1.
WHEN I came to men for the first time, then did I commit the hermit folly, the great folly: I appeared on the market-place.
And when I spoke to all, I spoke to none. In the evening, however, rope-dancers were my companions, and corpses; and I myself almost a corpse.
With the new morning, however, there came to me a new truth: then did I learn to say: «Of what account to me are market-place and rabble and rabble-noise and long rabble-cars!»
You higher men, learn this from me: On the market-place no one be-lieves in higher men. But if you will speak there, very well! The rabble, however, blinks: «We are all equal.»
«You higher men,»- so blinks the rabble- «there are no higher men, we are all equal; man is man, before God- we are all equal!»
Before God!- Now, however, this God has died. Before the rabble, however, we will not be equal. You higher men, away from the market-place!
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2.
Before God!- Now however this God has died! You higher men, this God was your greatest danger.
Only since he lay in the grave have you again arisen. Now only comes the great noontide, now only does the higher man become- master!
Have you understood this word, O my brothers? You are frightened: do your hearts turn giddy? does the abyss here yawn for you? does the hell-hound here yelp at you?
Well! Take heart! you higher men! Now only travails the mountain of the human future. God has died: now do we desire- the Superman to live.
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3.
The most careful ask to-day: «How is man to be maintained?» Zarathus-tra however asks, as the first and only one: «How is man to be overcome?»
The Superman, I have at heart; that is the first and only thing to me-and not man: not the neighbor, not the poorest, not the sorriest, not the best.-
O my brothers, what I can love in man is that he is an over-going and a down-going. And also in you there is much that makes me love and hope.
In that you have despised, you higher men, that makes me hope. For the great despisers are the great reverers.
In that you have despaired, there is much to honor. For you have not learned to submit yourselves, you have not learned petty policy.
For to-day have the petty people become master: they all preach sub-mission and humility and policy and diligence and consideration and the long et cetera of petty virtues.
Whatever is of the effeminate type, whatever originates from the servile type, and especially the rabble-mishmash:- that wishes now to be master of all human destiny- O disgust! Disgust! Disgust!
That asks and asks and never tires: «How is man to maintain himself best, longest, most pleasantly?» Thereby- are they the masters of today.
These masters of today- overcome them, O my brothers- these petty people: they are the Superman’s greatest danger!
Overcome, you higher men, the petty virtues, the petty policy, the sand-grain considerateness, the ant-hill trumpery, the pitiable comfort-ableness, the «happiness of the greatest number»-!
And rather despair than submit yourselves. And verily, I love you, be-cause you know not today how to live, you higher men! For thus do you live- best!
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4.
Have you courage, O my brothers? Are you stout-hearted? Not the cour-age before witnesses, but hermit and eagle courage, which not even a God any longer beholds?
Cold souls, mules, the blind and the drunken, I do not call stout-hearted. He has heart who knows fear, but vanquishes it; who sees the abyss, but with pride.
He who sees the abyss, but with eagle’s eyes,- he who with eagle’s talons grasps the abyss: he has courage.- —
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5.
«Man is evil»- so said to me for consolation, all the wisest ones. Ah, if only it be still true today! For the evil is man’s best force.
«Man must become better and eviler»- so do I teach. The evilest is ne-cessary for the Superman’s best.
It may have been well for the preacher of the petty people to suffer and be burdened by men’s sin. I, however, rejoice in great sin as my great consolation.-
Such things, however, are not said for long ears. Every word, also, is not suited for every mouth. These are fine far-away things: at them sheep’s claws shall not grasp!
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6.
You higher men, think you that I am here to put right what you have put wrong?
Or that I wished henceforth to make snugger couches for you suffer-ers? Or show you restless, miswandering, misclimbing ones, new and easier footpaths?
No! No! Three times No! Always more, always better ones of your type shall perish,- for you shall always have it worse and harder. Thus only-
-Thus only grows man aloft to the height where the lightning strikes and shatters him: high enough for the lightning!
Towards the few, the long, the remote go forth my soul and my seek-ing: of what account to me are your many little, short miseries!
You do not yet suffer enough for me! For you suffer from yourselves, you have not yet suffered from man. You would lie if you spoke other-wise! None of you suffers from what I have suffered.- —
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7.
It is not enough for me that the lightning no
