Lou Salomé and I he Quest for Intimacy 275and "devils' tools" (Β 6,487; March 22,1884). He later claimed to have
written this last part in the "mood of a clown." The fourth book offers
a virtual masked parade of types of spirits, featuring as it does the
"soothsayer," the "conscientious man of the spirit," the "magician," and
the 'Voluntary beggar." These masks appear to have been inspired by
specific models: Jacob Burckhardt, Richard Wagner, Franz Overbeck,
Otto von Bismarck, and others. These figures come into Zarathustra's
cave, where he is holding court Since they convert to the doctrine of
eternal recurrence, they are well on their way to becoming Ubermenschen.
Although they still suffer from irresolution and faintheartedness, and do
not succeed, they do earn the honorary tide "higher men." Nietzsche
was clearly attempting to strike a frivolous, light, and at times operetta-
like tone for the book as a whole, but he did not manage to do so. The
exalted tone of the first three volumes prevailed here as welL
Still, this fourth book features passages of a self-critical clarity that
approaches the threshold of pain. Nietzsche detected a sham existence
lurking behind his pathos: "I have figured out your secret* you became
everyone's enchanter, but you have no lies or wiles left to use against
yourself—you are disenchanted to yourself!" (4,318; Ζ Fourth Part,
"Magician" § 2).