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Ye highest men who have come within my ken! this is my doubt of you, and
my
secret laughter: I suspect ye would call my Superman - - a devil!
***
And
thou thyself, thou old pope, how is it in accordance with
thee, to adore an ass in such a manner as God?"
Better to adore God so, in this form, than in no form at all! Think
over
this saying, mine exalted friend: thou wilt readily divine that in
such a
saying there is wisdom.
Mine old heart leapeth and boundeth because there is still something to
adore on earth.
The old God liveth again.
"And thou," said Zarathustra, "thou bad old magician, what didst thou
do!
Who ought to believe any longer in thee in this free age, when THOU believest in such divine donkeyism?
Perhaps I dare not believe in God: certain it is however, that God
seemeth
to me most worthy of belief in this form.
Thou thyself -- verily! even thou couldst well become an ass through
superabundance of wisdom.
"And thou thyself, finally," said Zarathustra, and turned towards the
ugliest man, who still lay on the ground stretching up his arm to the ass
(for he gave it wine to drink).
A little valiant nonsense, some divine service and ass-festival, some
old
joyful Zarathustra fool, some blusterer to blow your souls bright.
Forget not this night and this ass-festival, ye higher men! THAT did
ye
devise when with me, that do I take as a good omen, -- such things only the
convalescents devise!
And should ye celebrate it again, this ass-festival, do it
from love to yourselves, do it also from love to me!
And in remembrance of me!
-- Thus
Spake Zarathustra, by Friedrich Nietzsche
The Golden Ass, or Metamorphoses, by Apuleius,
translated by E.J. Kenney
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