54 THUS SPAKE ZAKATHUSTRA, I
Even he who is freed in spirit must purify him- self. Much of prison and mould is still left in him : his eye needeth to be purified.
Ay, I know thy danger. But by my love and hope I conjure thee : throw not away thy love and hope !
Noble thou feelest thyself, and that thou art noble feel even the others who are angry with thee and cast evil glances. Know that a noble one is in the way of all.
A noble one is in the way of the good : and even if they call him a good one, by so doing they seek to put him aside.
The noble one wisheth to create something new and a new virtue. The good one willeth that old things should be preserved.
But that is not the danger of the noble one, to become a good one, but to become an insolent, a sneering one, a destroyer.
Alas, I have known noble ones who lost their highest hope. And then they slandered all high hopes.
Then they lived insolently in brief pleasure, and scarcely made any of their goals beyond the day.
'Spirit is voluptuousness also'- said they. Then they broke the wings of their spirit : now it creepeth about and soileth whilst it gnaweth.
Once they thought of becoming heroes : men of
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