2.
Hardly, however, had Zarathustra left the cave when the old magician got up,
looked cunningly about him, and said: "He is gone!
And already, ye higher men-let me tickle you with this complimentary and
flattering name, as he himself doeth-already doth mine evil spirit of deceit
and magic attack me, my melancholy devil,
-Which is an adversary to this Zarathustra from the very heart: forgive it for
this! Now doth it wish to conjure before you, it hath just its hour; in vain do
I struggle with this evil spirit.
Unto all of you, whatever honours ye like to assume in your names, whether ye
call yourselves 'the free spirits' or 'the conscientious,' or 'the penitents of
the spirit,' or 'the unfettered,' or 'the great longers,'-
-Unto all of you, who like me suffer from the great loathing, to whom the old
God hath died, and as yet no new God lieth in cradles and swaddling clothes-unto all of you is mine evil spirit and magic-devil favourable.
I know you, ye higher men, I know him,-I know also this fiend whom I love in
spite of me, this Zarathustra: he himself often seemeth to me like the
beautiful mask of a saint,
-Like a new strange mummery in which mine evil spirit, the melancholy devil,
delighteth:-I love Zarathustra, so doth it often seem to me, for the sake of
mine evil spirit.-
But already doth it attack me and constrain me, this spirit of melancholy, this
evening-twilight devil: and verily, ye higher men, it hath a longing-
-Open your eyes!-it hath a longing to come naked, whether male or female, I do
not yet know: but it cometh, it constraineth me, alas! open your wits!
The day dieth out, unto all things cometh now the evening, also unto the best
things; hear now, and see, ye higher men, what devil-man or woman-this spirit
of evening-melancholy is!"
Thus spake the old magician, looked cunningly about him, and then seized his
harp.
