Page 247 - beyond-good-and-evil

instruction. We men are—more human.—

296. Alas! what are you, after all, my written and painted
thoughts! Not long ago you were so variegated, young and
malicious, so full of thorns and secret spices, that you made
me sneeze and laugh—and now? You have already doffed
your novelty, and some of you, I fear, are ready to become
truths, so immortal do they look, so pathetically honest, so
tedious! And was it ever otherwise? What then do we write
and paint, we mandarins with Chinese brush, we immor-
talisers of things which LEND themselves to writing, what
are we alone capable of painting? Alas, only that which is
just about to fade and begins to lose its odour! Alas, only
exhausted and departing storms and belated yellow senti-
ments! Alas, only birds strayed and fatigued by flight, which
now let themselves be captured with the hand—with OUR
hand! We immortalize what cannot live and fly much lon-
ger, things only which are exhausted and mellow! And it is
only for your AFTERNOON, you, my written and paint-
ed thoughts, for which alone I have colours, many colours,
perhaps, many variegated softenings, and fifty yellows and
browns and greens and reds;— but nobody will divine
thereby how ye looked in your morning, you sudden sparks
and marvels of my solitude, you, my old, beloved— EVIL
thoughts!

Beyond Good and Evil