Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/238

 OF MANLY PRUDENCE

" Not the height, the declivity is the terrible thing !

The declivity where the glance hurleth down, and the hand graspeth up. There the heart becometh dizzy from its double will.

Alas, friends, do ye guess rightly the double will of my heart?

This, this is my declivity and my danger, that my glance hurleth up, and my hand would fain clutch and lean upon depth !

My will clingeth round man ; with chains I bind myself unto man because I am torn upwards unto beyond-man. For thither mine other will is longing.

And for this purpose I live blind among men as though I did not know them ; that my hand might not lose entirely its belief in what is firm.

I know not you men ; this darkness and comfort is frequently spread out over me.

I am sitting at the gateway for every villain and ask : ' Who is going to deceive me ? '

My first manly prudence is that I admit myself to be deceived in order not to be compelled to guard myself from deceivers.

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