yet repulsing those about him, lest, if he gave way to love, love should bring death!
I am not inventing his idealism. He was idealistic even from his youth. Who would expect to find Mazzini entering the life of Nietzsche—the one the champion of the rights of men and our moral mission, the other the champion of the rights of the body and the reversal of values? In 1871 Nietzsche crossed the Gotthard to Lugano. In the diligence he found an old man, with whom he entered into conversation. The two became enthusiastic, finding each other in agreement on many things. The old man quoted to Nietzsche one of the noblest maxims of Goethe: “Sich des halben zu entwohnen und im Ganzen, Vollen, Schönen, resolut zu leben.” Nietzsche never forgot that thought, nor the man who had brought it to his attention. That man was Mazzini. Nietzsche said later, to Malwida von Meysenbug: “There is no other man whom I esteem as I esteem Mazzini.” And he was sincere. Let whoso will explain the apparent difference between two such heroes.
Nietzsche had neither wife nor mistress; he had friends among women; he had for some time a quasi-fiancée—Lou Salomé—he had a sister who pretended to understand him, and followed him as best she could. But if woman had but a slight part in his life—as is the case with all saints—friendship played a very great part in it. A man
