the savage beast and hammer him down. A spear to thrust through with, so
that I may feel the long blade enter and the push of the shaft. The
unwearied strength of Ninus to hunt unceasingly in the fierce sun. Still I
should desire greater strength and a stouter bow, wilder creatures to
combat. The intense life of the senses, there is never enough for them. I
envy Semiramis; I would have been ten times Semiramis. I envy Nero, because
of the great concourse of beauty he saw. I should like to be loved by every
beautiful woman on earth, from the swart Nubian to the white and divine
Greek.

Wine is pleasant and meat refreshing; but though I own with
absolute honesty that I like them, these are the least of all.
Of these two only have I ever had enough. The vehemence of exertion, the
vehemence of the spear, the vehemence of sunlight and life, the insatiate
desire of insatiate Semiramis, the still more insatiate desire of love,
divine and beautiful, the uncontrollable adoration of beauty, these--these:
give me these in greater abundance than was ever known to man or woman. The
strength of Hercules, the fulness of the senses, the richness of life, would
not in the least impair my desire of soul-life. On the reverse, with every
stronger beat of the pulse my desire of soul-life would expand. So it has
ever been with me; in hard exercise, in sensuous pleasure, in the embrace of
the sunlight,
even in the drinking of a glass of wine, my heart has been lifted the higher
towards perfection of soul. Fulness of physical life causes a deeper desire
of soul-life.

Let me be physically perfect, in shape, vigour, and movement.
My frame, naturally slender, will not respond to labour, and increase in
proportion to effort, nor will exposure harden a
delicate skin. It disappoints me so far, but my spirit rises with the