434 THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, IV
��But scarce had Zarathustra left his cave, when the old wizard got up, looked round cunningly and said : " He is gone out !
And straightway, ye higher men, (let me like him tickle you with this name of praise and flattery), straightway mine evil spirit of deceitfulness and en- chantment attacketh me, my melancholy devil ;
Who is a fiend from the bottom unto this Zara- thustra. Forgive him ! Now he will practise magic in your presence ; it is exactly his hour. In vain I struggle with this evil spirit.
Unto all of you, whatever honours ye may attribute unto yourselves in words, whether ye call yourselves 'the free spirits,' or 'the truthful,' or 'the penitent of spirit* or 'the freed from fetters,' or 'the great longers '
Unto all of you who, like myself, suffer from the great loathingy for whom the old God hath died and no new God yet lieth in cradles and napkins unto all of you is mine evil spirit and magic devil friendly.
I know you, ye higher men ; I know him. I also know that fiend whom I love involuntarily, this Zarathustra. He himself seemeth often unto me to be like a beautiful mask of a saint
Like a new strange masquerade in which mine evil spirit, the melancholy devil, is pleased. I love
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