Page:Thus Spake Zarathustra - Alexander Tille - 1896.djvu/420

 386 THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, IV

first to warn against pity not all, not none, but thyself and thy tribe.

Thou art ashamed of the shame of the great sufferer. And, verily, when thou sayest : ' From pity there cometh a great cloud, ye men beware ; '

When thou teachest : ' All creators are hard, all great love is raised above their pity ; ' O Zara- thustra, how well read thou seemest unto me in weather-omens !

But thyself, warn also thyself against thy pity ! For many are on the way unto thee, many suffering, doubting, despairing, drowning, cold folk.

I also warn thee against myself. Thou hast found out my best, my worst riddle, myself and what I had done. I know the axe that layeth thee low.

But He was compelled to die. He looked at things with eyes that saw everything. He saw the depths and abysses of man, all his hidden shame and ugliness.

His pity knew no shame. He crept into my foulest corners. This most curious, over-officious, over-pitiful one was compelled to die.

He always saw myself. On such a witness I wished to take revenge, or rather not to live at all !

The God who saw everything, including man this God was compelled to die ! Man endureth not that such a witness should live."

Thus spake the ugliest man. But Zarathustra got

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