They lay lures for one another, they lure things out of one another — that they call ‘good neighbourliness’. O blessed remote period when a people said to itself: ‘I will be — master over peoples!’

For, my brethren, the best shall rule, the best also willeth to rule! And where the teaching is different, there — the best is lacking.

22

If they had — bread for nothing, alas, for what would they cry! Their maintainment — that is their true entertainment; and they shall have it hard!

Beasts of prey are they; in their ‘working’ — there is even plundering, in their ‘earning’ — there is even overreaching! Therefore shall they have it hard!

Better beasts of prey shall they thus become, subtler, cleverer, more man-like; for man is the best beast of prey.

All the animals hath man already robbed of their virtues: that is why of all animals it hath been hardest for man.

Only the birds are still beyond him, and if man should yet learn to fly, alas, to what height — would his rapacity fly?

23

Thus would I have man and woman: fit for war, the one; fit for maternity, the other. Both, however, fit for dancing with head and legs.

And lost be the day to us in which a measure hath not been danced. And false be every truth which hath not had laughter along with it!

24

Your marriage-arranging: see that it be not a bad arranging! Ye have arranged too hastily; so there followeth therefrom — marriage-breaking!

And better marriage-breaking than marriage-bending, marriage-lying! Thus spake a woman unto me: ‘Indeed, I broke the marriage, but first did the marriage break — me!’

The badly paired found I ever the most revengeful: they make every one suffer for it that they no longer run singly.

On that account want I the honest ones to say to one another: ‘We love each other: let us see to it that we maintain our love! Or shall our pledging be blundering?’

‘Give us a set term and a small marriage, that we may see if we are fit for the great marriage! It is a great matter always to be twain.’

Thus do I counsel all honest ones; and what would be my love to the Superman, and to all that is to come, if I should counsel and speak otherwise!

Not only to propagate yourselves onwards but upwards — thereto, O my brethren, may the garden of marriage help you!