The essence of our gardens and palaces (and to the same extent the essence of all yearning after riches) is _the desire to rid the eye of disorder and vulgarity, and to build a home for our soul's nobility._ The majority of people certainly believe that they will develop higher natures when those beautiful and peaceful things have operated upon them: hence the exodus to Italy, hence all travelling, etc., and all reading and visits to theatres. _People want to be formed_--that is the kernel of their labours for culture! But the strong, the mighty, would themselves _have a hand in the forming, and would fain have nothing strange about them_! It is for this reason, too, that men go to open Nature, not to find themselves, but to lose themselves and to forget themselves. The desire "_to get away from one's self_" is proper to all weaklings, and to all those who are discontented with themselves. 942. The only nobility is that of birth and blood. (I do not refer here to the prefix "Lord" and _L'almanac de Gotha_: this is a parenthesis for donkeys.) Wherever people speak of the "aristocracy of intellect," reasons are generally not lacking for concealing something, it is known to be a password among ambitious Jews. Intellect alone does not ennoble; on the contrary, something is always needed _to ennoble intellect._--What then is needed?--Blood. 943. What is noble? --External punctiliousness; because this punctiliousness hedges a man about, keeps him at a distance, saves him from being confounded with somebody else. A frivolous appearance in word, clothing, and bearing, with which stoical hardness and self-control protect themselves from all prying inquisitiveness or curiosity. --A slow step and a slow glance. There are not too many valuable things on earth: and these come and wish to come of themselves to him who has value. We are not quick to admire. --We know how to bear poverty, want, and even illness. --We avoid small honours owing to our mistrust of all who are over-ready to praise: for the man who praises believes he understands what he praises: but to understand--Balzac, that typical man of ambition, betrayed the fact _comprendre c'est égaler._ --Our doubt concerning the communicativeness of our hearts goes very deep; to us, loneliness is not a matter of choice, it is imposed upon us. --We are convinced that we only have duties to our equals, to others we do as we think best: we know that justice is only to be expected among equals (alas! this will not be realised for some time to come), --We are ironical towards the "gifted"; we hold the belief that no morality is possible without good birth. --We always feel as if we were those who had to dispense honours: while he is not found too frequently who would be worthy of honouring us.