terers and Confectioners of modern Europe undertake,
in joint-stock company, to make one Shoeblack HAPPY? They cannot
accomplish it, above an hour or two: for the Shoeblack also has a Soul
quite other than his Stomach; and would require, if you consider it,
for his permanent satisfaction and saturation, simply this allotment,
no more, and no less: _God's infinite Universe altogether to himself_,
therein to enjoy infinitely, and fill every wish as fast as it rose.
Oceans of Hochheimer, a Throat like that of Ophiuchus: speak not of
them; to the infinite Shoeblack they are as nothing. No sooner is
your ocean filled, than he grumbles that it might have been of better
vintage. Try him with half of a Universe, of an Omnipotence, he sets to
quarrelling with the proprietor of the other half, and declares himself
the most maltreated of men.--Always there is a black spot in our
sunshine: it is even, as I said, the _Shadow of Ourselves_.

"But the whim we have of Happiness is somewhat thus. By certain
valuations, and averages, of our own striking, we come upon some sort of
average terrestrial lot; this we fancy belongs to us by nature, and of
indefeasible right. It is simple payment of our wages, of our deserts;
requires neither thanks nor complaint; only such _overplus_ as there may
be do we account Happiness; any _deficit_ again is Misery. Now consider
that we have the valuation of our own deserts ourselves, and what a fund
of Self-conceit there is in each of us,--do you wonder that the balance
should so often dip the wrong way, and many a Blockhead cry: See
there, what a payment; was ever worthy gentleman so used!--I tell thee,
Blockhead, it all comes of thy Vanity; of what thou _fanciest_ those
same deserts of thine to be. Fancy that thou deservest to be hanged (as
is most likely), thou wilt feel it happiness to be only shot: fancy that
thou deservest to be hanged in a hair-halter, it will be a luxury to die
in hemp.

"So true is it, what I then said, that _the Fraction of Life can be
increased in value not so much by increasing your Numerator as by
lessening your Denominator_. Nay, unless my Algebra deceive me, _Unity_
itself divided by _Zero_ will give _Infinity_. Make thy claim of wages
a zero, then; thou hast the world under thy feet. Well did the Wisest
of our time write: 'It is only with Renunciation (_Entsagen_) that Life,
properly speaking, can be said to begin.'

"I asked myself: What is this that, ever since earlie