2OO THUS SPAKE ZARATHUSTRA, II
Willing delivereth. What doth willing itself invent in order to get rid of its affliction and mock at its prison ?
Alas, every prisoner becometh a fool ! Foolishly ; likewise, imprisoned will delivereth itself.
That time doth not go backwards, that is will's wrath. 'What was' is the name of the stone it cannot turn.
And thus it turneth stones out of wrath and in- dignation and taketh revenge on what doth not feel wrath and indignation like it.
Thus will, the liberator, became a causer of pain. And on all that is able to suffer, it taketh revenge for being unable to enter the past.
This, this alone, is revenge: will's abhorrence of time and its 'It was.'
Verily, great folly liveth in our will ; and it became a curse for all that is human, that that folly learned how to have spirit !
The spirit of revenge my friends, that hath hith- erto been the best meditation of men. And wherever there was affliction, there punishment was supposed to be.
'Punishment' thus revenge calleth itself. With a word of lying, it feigneth a good conscience for itself.
And because there is affliction in the willing one, because he cannot will backwards all willing and all living were supposed to be punishment !
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