are the nobler natures; artists are effeminate in comparison[1]—and he puts himself out of their category, saying that they "find us non-artists a little too sober."[2] Poetry and music alike receive slighting comments. Poets are not worth as much as they seem to be: they throw a veil over ideas, and we have to pay for the veil and for our curiosity to get behind it.[3] Their thoughts often use a festive wagon of rhythm, because of inability to go afoot.[4] He doubts whether it is expedient for philosophers to quote from them, citing Homer's dictum, "Singers lie much."[5] He suggests that poetry may have had a utilitarian and even superstitious origin—rhythm, like musical melody and the dance, being among primitive peoples a way of pleasing the Gods.[6] As for music, he systematically forbade himself for a time all music of a romantic sort, thinking that it begot too many desires and longings, made the mind unclear, feminized, its "eternal feminine" drawing us—down![7] a He has even occasional sarcasm for the genius. A thinker who takes himself in this way may, by begetting distrust in the cautious and sober ways of science, be an enemy to truth[8]—Nietzsche lays stress, as he never has before, on talents and industry.[9] b If ever he speaks of "genius" admiringly, he begs us to remember that we must keep the term free of all mythological and mystical associations."[10] The danger is that surrounded by incense, the genius begins to think himself something superhuman; he develops feelings of irresponsibility, of exceptional rights and superiority to criticism."[11] Nietzsche mentions Napoleon in this connection; but the man who is principally in his mind is undoubtedly Wagner. Professor Riehl asserts that wherever the word "artist" occurs in Human, All-too-Human, Nietzsche had first written "Wagner."[12] In fact he contemplated a new book on Wagner—one that would in a way expiate his former laudation (for he felt that he had led many astray); and now that Wagner was victorious, he could criticise him without violating his rules of literary war-
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