Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/314

 28O THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, III

find life with one's self endurable, and not go gadding about.

Such a gadding about baptizeth itself 'love unto one's neighbour.' With this word folk have lied best hitherto and dissembled best, and in particular those whom all the world felt to be heavy.

And, verily, it is no commandment for to-day and to-morrow, to learn how to love one's self. It is rather the finest, cunningest, last and most patient of arts.

For unto him who possesseth it, all that is possessed is well hidden ; and of all treasure pits one's own is digged out last. Thus the spirit of gravity causeth it to be.

Almost in the cradle we are given heavy words and values. ' Good ' and ' evil ' that cradle-gift is called. For its sake we are forgiven for living.

And for that end one calleth the little children unto one's self, to forbid them in good time to love them- selves. Thus the spirit of gravity causeth it to be.

And we we carry faithfully what we are given, on hard shoulders over rough mountains ! And when perspiring, we are told : ' Yea, life is hard to bear ! '

But man himself only is hard to bear ! The reason is that he carrieth too many strange things on his shoulders. Like the camel he kneeleth down and alloweth the heavy load to be put on his back

In particular the strong man who is able to bear the load, who is possessed by reverence. Too many

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