Chronicle of Nietzsche 's Life 370be next of kin to a man and destiny in which the questions of millennia
have been resolved" (mid-November). Negotiates with his publisher to
buy back his works: "It would be possible to become a millionaire from
my Zarathustra alone; it is the most decisive work there is" (November
22). First list of the "Dionysus Dithyrambs" (end of November). Draft
of a letter to Kaiser Wilhelm Π: "I am hereby granting the German
Kaiser the highest honor that can befall him; an honor that is all the
more significant because I have to surmount my deep loathing of every-
thing that is German. I am placing the first copy of my book into his
hand, which signals the arrival of something colossal" (eady December).
N. revises the Ecce Homo manuscript, inserting the condemnations of his
mother and sister. Fantasies about a grand political design. To Peter
Gast: "Did you know that I will need the backing of all the Jewish finan-
ciers for my international movement?" (December 9).
N. rereads his own books: "I did everything very well, but never had a
clue about it—quite the contrary" (December 9). N. calls himself a
"satyr" and a "clown" (December 10). N. attends operettas and open-air
concerts. Beautiful sunny weather. Good climate. N. feels healthier than
ever. "Sometimes these days I see no reason to accelerate the tragic
catastrophe of my life that began with Ecce" (December 16). Ecce Homo
is ready for printing (late December). "I consider the question of who I
am settled once and for all now that Ecce Homo is in press. From now on,
no one should be concerned about me, but only about the reasons that
I exist" (December 27). N.'s landlady sees him dancing naked.
1889
N. embraces a horse to protect it from the blows of a carriage driver
(eady January). Letter to Jacob Burckhardt: 'Ultimately, I would much
rather be a Basel professor than God, but I have not dared to carry my
private egotism to the point that I would forgo creating the world. You
see, we must make sacrifices no matter how and where we live" (January
6). When Burckhardt receives this letter in Basel, he goes to Overbeck