THE ACADEMIC CHAIRS OF VIRTUE.

People commended unto Zarathustra a wise man, as one who could discoursernwell about sleep and virtue: greatly was he honoured and rewarded forrnit, and all the youths sat before his chair. To him went Zarathustra,rnand sat among the youths before his chair. And thus spake the wise man:rnrnRespect and modesty in presence of sleep! That is the first thing! Andrnto go out of the way of all who sleep badly and keep awake at night!rnrnModest is even the thief in presence of sleep: he always stealeth softlyrnthrough the night. Immodest, however, is the night-watchman; immodestlyrnhe carrieth his horn.rnrnNo small art is it to sleep: it is necessary for that purpose to keeprnawake all day.rnrnTen times a day must thou overcome thyself: that causeth wholesomernweariness, and is poppy to the soul.rnrnTen times must thou reconcile again with thyself; for overcoming isrnbitterness, and badly sleep the unreconciled.rnrnTen truths must thou find during the day; otherwise wilt thou seek truthrnduring the night, and thy soul will have been hungry.rnrnTen times must thou laugh during the day, and be cheerful; otherwise thyrnstomach, the father of affliction, will disturb thee in the night.rnrnFew people know it, but one must have all the virtues in order to sleeprnwell. Shall I bear false witness? Shall I commit adultery?rnrnShall I covet my neighbour’s maidservant? All that would ill accord withrngood sleep.rnrnAnd even if one have all the virtues, there is still one thing needful:rnto send the virtues themselves to sleep at the right time.rnrnThat they may not quarrel with one another, the good females! And aboutrnthee, thou unhappy one!rnrnPeace with God and thy neighbour: so desireth good sleep. And peace alsornwith thy neighbour’s devil! Otherwise it will haunt thee in the night.rnrnHonour to the government, and obedience, and also to the crookedrngovernment! So desireth good sleep. How can I help it, if power like tornwalk on crooked legs?rnrnHe who leadeth his sheep to the greenest pasture, shall always be for mernthe best shepherd: so doth it accord with good sleep.rnrnMany honours I want not, nor great treasures: they excite the spleen.rnBut it is bad sleeping without a good name and a little treasure.rnrnA small company is more welcome to me than a bad one: but they must comernand go at the right time. So doth it accord with good sleep.rnrnWell, also, do the poor in spirit please me: they promote sleep. Blessedrnare they, especially if one always give in to them.rnrnThus passeth the day unto the virtuous. When night cometh, then take Irngood care not to summon sleep. It disliketh to be summoned—sleep, thernlord of the virtues!rnrnBut I think of what I have done and thought during the day. Thusrnruminating, patient as a cow, I ask myself: What were thy tenrnovercomings?rnrnAnd what were the ten reconciliations, and the ten truths, and the tenrnlaughters with which my heart enjoyed itself?rnrnThus pondering, and cradled by forty thoughts, it overtaketh me all atrnonce—sleep, the unsummoned, the lord of the virtues.rnrnSleep tappeth on mine eye, and it turneth heavy. Sleep toucheth myrnmouth, and it remaineth open.rnrnVerily, on soft soles doth it come to me, the dearest of thieves, andrnstealeth from me my thoughts: stupid do I then stand, like this academicrnchair.rnrnBut not much longer do I then stand: I already lie.—rnrnWhen Zarathustra heard the wise man thus speak, he laughed in his heart:rnfor thereby had a light dawned upon him. And thus spake he to his heart:rnrnA fool seemeth this wise man with his forty thoughts: but I believe hernknoweth well how to sleep.rnrnHappy even is he who liveth near this wise man! Such sleep isrncontagious—even through a thick wall it is contagious.rnrnA magic resideth even in his academic chair. And not in vain did thernyouths sit before the preacher of virtue.rnrnHis wisdom is to keep awake in order to sleep well. And verily, ifrnlife had no sense, and had I to choose nonsense, this would be therndesirablest nonsense for me also.rnrnNow know I well what people sought formerly above all else when theyrnsought teachers of virtue. Good sleep they sought for themselves, andrnpoppy-head virtues to promote it!rnrnTo all those belauded sages of the academic chairs, wisdom was sleeprnwithout dreams: they knew no higher significance of life.rnrnEven at present, to be sure, there are some like this preacher ofrnvirtue, and not always so honourable: but their time is past. And notrnmuch longer do they stand: there they already lie.rnrnBlessed are those drowsy ones: for they shall soon nod to sleep.—rnrnThus spake Zarathustra.