bismarck’s parents.—brothers and sisters.—bismarck born.—kniephof, jarchelin, and külz.—the plamann institute.—the frederick william institute.—residence in berlin.—bismarck’s father and mother.—letter of count bismarck to his sister.—confirmation.—dr. bonnell.—severity of the plamanns.—holiday time.—colonel august frederick von bismarck and the wooden donkey at ihna bridge.—school-life with dr. bonnell.—the cholera of 1831.—the youthful character and appearance of bismarck.—early friends.—proverbs.—“far from sufficient!” quoth bismarck.
arl wilhelm ferdinand von bismarck, of sch?nhausen, born on the 13th november, 1771, once belonging to the body guard (no. 11 in the old list), who quitted the service as captain, was married on the 7th of july, 1806, to louise wilhelmina menken, born on the 24th of february, 1790; died the 1st of january, 1889, at berlin.
frau von bismarck was an orphan daughter of the well-known privy councillor, anastatius ludwig menken, who had served with distinction under three sovereigns of prussia and possessed great influence during the first years of the reign of frederick william iii. he was born at helmstadt on the 2d of august, 1752, and was a member of a family distinguished for its literary attainments. to a certain[102] extent he was a pupil of the minister count herzberg,[25] by whose means he was appointed to a post in the privy chancery. frederick the great held him in great esteem, he having rendered an important service to his sister, the queen louise ulrike, in stockholm; and he employed him from the year 1782 in the capacity of secretary to the cabinet for foreign affairs. from 1786 he became privy councillor to frederick william ii., and in that office was again intrusted with the administration of foreign affairs, but after the war with france was supplanted by general von bischofswerder,[26] and retired into private life. menken was the only adviser of king frederick william ii., who was recalled and reappointed at the accession of frederick william iii. he was the author of the well-known cabinet order issued by frederick william iii., which insured the young king the confidence of his subjects. menken was no revolutionist, as bischofswerder and his partisans asserted, but to a certain extent he agreed with the principles of the first french national convention. he is portrayed as a gentle, liberal, prudent, and experienced man, but of delicate health; and he died on the 5th august, 1801, in consequence of illness brought on by a life of unintermitting labor. according to the opinion of stein, menken was a person of generous sentiments, well educated, of fine feeling and benevolent disposition, with noble aims and principles. he desired the good of his native land, which he sought to promote by the diffusion of knowledge, the improvement of the condition of all classes, and the application of philanthropic ideas; but his indisposition for war at an important juncture was adverse to his fame; his too eloquent and humane edict, and his singular gentleness of mind, invested the government with an appearance of weakness.
his orphan daughter became the mother of count bismarck. it is interesting to note that a hundred years before a daughter of the same family, christine sybille menken, deceased in 1750, as the wife of the imperial equerry peter hohmann von hohenthal, was the ancestress of the count von hohenthal of the elder line.
the brothers and sisters of count bismarck were:—
i. alexander frederick ferdinand, born 13th april, 1807; died 13th december, 1809.
ii. louise johanne, born 3d november, 1808; died 19th march, 1813.
iii. bernhard, born 24th june, 1810, royal chamberlain and privy councillor, and chief justice of the circle of naugard, near külz and jarchelin, in pomerania.
iv. francis, born 20th june, 1819; died 10th september, 1822.
v. franziska angelika malwina, born the 29th june, 1827; wedded at sch?nhausen on the 30th october, 1844, to ernst frederick abraham henry charles oscar von arnim, of kr?chlendorff, royal chamberlain and a member of the upper house.
the minister-president himself, otto edward leopold, was born at sch?nhausen on the 1st april, 1815.
his earliest youth, however, was not passed at his ancestral estate in the alt mark, but in pomerania, whither his parents had removed in the year 1816. by the decease of a cousin they had succeeded to the knightly estates of kniephof, jarchelin, and külz, in the circle of naugard. at kniephof, where his parents took up their residence, bismarck passed the first six years of his life, and to kniephof he returned in his holidays from berlin, so that this pomeranian estate of his parents may be regarded as the scene of his earliest sports.
these estates were held in fee from the dewitz family, in the circle of pomerania, then known as the daber and dewitz circle, and were ceded with the feudal rights to the colonel august frederick von bismarck, the great-grandfather of the minister-president, on his marriage with stephanie von dewitz. after the death of the colonel, his three sons, bernd august, charles alexander (the minister’s grandfather), and ernst frederick (royal conservator of palaces) possessed these estates in common, until, on the partition of 12th august, 1747, they were[104] handed over to captain bernd august alone. he bequeathed them to his son, the deputy of the daber-naugard circle, and to captain august frederick von bismarck and his sister charlotte henrietta, who was married to captain jaroslav ulrich frederick von schwerin. by a deed dated the 7th of august, 1777, august frederick became the sole possessor, and bequeathed them to charles william frederick von bismarck, the father of the minister-president.
the knightly estate of kniephof is about a (german) mile from naugard to the eastward; its situation is pleasant, being surrounded by woods and meadows, close to the little river zampel. even in the last century the beautiful gardens and carp-lake were famous.
jarchelin, formerly called grecholin, some quarter of a mile distant from kniephof, which is incorporated with the parish of the former place. a small stream runs through this village.
külz is nearer to naugard; the church there was originally a dependency of farbezin; formerly it possessed oak and pine forests, and the hamlet of stowinkel was planted with oaks.
in the year 1838, captain von bismarck ceded these estates to his two sons, who farmed them for three years in common, but then divided them so that the elder, bernhard, retained külz, while the younger, the minister-president, took for his share kniephof and jarchelin. when, after his father’s decease in 1845, the minister-president took sch?nhausen, jarchelin was surrendered to the elder brother. kniephof was retained by count bismarck until 1868, when, after the purchase of varzin, it passed into the possession of his eldest nephew, lieutenant philip von bismarck.
as the possessor of kniephof, the minister sat till 1868 for the ancient and established fief of the dukedom stettin in the upper chamber. on its cession the king created him a member of that chamber for life. in the adjacent estate of zimmerhausen, belonging to the von blanckenburgs, otto von bismarck was then and afterwards a frequent guest. the youthful friendship which he then contracted with the present general county councillor moritz von blanckenburg, a well-known leader of the conservative party in the chamber of deputies and at the diet, remains unshaken to the present day.
about the easter of 1821, otto von bismarck entered the then renowned school of professor plamann, in berlin (wilhelmstrasse 130), where his only surviving elder brother bernhard then was. bismarck remained in this place till 1827, when he left it to pursue his more classical studies at the frederick william gymnasium. he was there received into the lower third class—his elder brother having by that time reached the second class.
his parents were accustomed to pass the winter months in berlin, and during those times received both their sons at home, so that the boys ever retained feelings of relationship to the home circle, although not always there.
from the year 1827 both brothers became chiefly residents at the berlin establishment of their parents, and were committed to the care of a faithful servant, trine neumann, from sch?nhausen, who still lives at the gesund-brunnen, at berlin, though she no longer wears the black and red petticoat of her native spot. well qualified masters attended, especially during the absence of the parents in the summer time. by their aid they became acquainted with several of the modern languages. among these tutors, the first was m. hagens in 1827, then a young genevese, named gallot, and in the year 1829, a certain dr. winckelmann, unquestionably a clever philologist, but a man of no principle, who vanished one morning with the cash-box, and left his charges behind with trine neumann. this occurred at the residence of the parents in behrenstrasse no. 39; they afterwards resided at no. 52, in the same street, and subsequently on the d?nhofsplatz. at this time otto von bismarck laid the foundation of his prowess in english and french, which he ulteriorly brought to perfection.
it is evident that labor, care, or expense were not spared by the parents to foster the talents of these gifted children. this was, indeed, a special duty with their mother, a lady of great education, who combined with many accomplishments the sentimental religious feeling of her period, and had inherited the liberal views of her father. madame von bismarck was no doubt a distinguished woman, not only esteemed for her beauty in society, but exercising considerable influence in society. her activity, which zealously espoused modern ideas, was probably less wanting[108] in insight than in persistency, but from that very cause operated unfavorably in the management of the estates. the conduct of agriculture suffered under numerous and costly institutions and experiments, reducing the family income to a considerable extent, especially as the brilliant winter establishment in berlin, and the summer visits to watering-places, demanded extensive resources. she evidently sought at a very early age to awaken ambition in her sons; it was particularly her desire that the younger son, otto, should devote himself to a diplomatic career, for which she considered him especially fitted, while the elder brother was from the first destined for the commission of provincial councillor (landrath). both these aspirations were fulfilled, but not in their mother’s lifetime; she had long died when her younger son entered on diplomatic life, but her maternal instinct is honored by her early perception of the path by which bismarck was to attain the highest distinction. how often must bismarck have thought of his mother’s heartfelt wish, in his position as ambassador in frankfort, petersburg, and paris! how frequently his earliest friends must have exclaimed, “bismarck! had your mother only survived to see this!”
in contradistinction to the wise, ambitious, but somewhat haughty mother, his father, a handsome, personable, and cheerful man, full of humor and wit, rather represented the heart and mind, without very great claims to strong intellect, or even knowledge. strangely enough, the cultivated and literary charles alexander von bismarck, transformed from a diplomatist into a cavalry officer by the command of the great frederick, educated his four sons for the army.
this cavalier, of french sentiments, who subscribed to parisian journals, still preserved at sch?nhausen—a custom not usual with the aristocracy of the marks—and who lived with great simplicity, but drank wine, and ate off silver plate—brought up his sons like centaurs, and his greatest pride was in the excellence of their horsemanship.
bismarck’s father entered the body-guard (white and blue), the commander of which was also a bismarck, and, as he often told his sons in later times, “measured out the corn every morning at four o’clock to the men for five long years.” he loved a country life, grew wearied in berlin, especially when he had[109] grown somewhat deaf, but, with chivalrous devotion to his lady wife, conformed to her wishes on this point.
madame von bismarck, besides esteeming the company of talented persons and scholars, was devoted to chess, of which she was a complete mistress; but her husband’s amusement was the chase to the end of his life. how strangely the old gentleman pursued this pastime we learn from a letter of bismarck’s to his newly-married sister, in the latter part of 1844; very characteristic of the relations maintained by the son and brother.
ow you have departed, i have naturally found the house very lonely. i have sat by the stove smoking and contemplating how unnatural and selfish it is in girls who have brothers, and those bachelors, to go and recklessly marry, and act as if they only were in the world to follow their own sweet wills; a selfish principle from which i feel that our family, and myself in proper person, are fortunately[110] free. after perceiving the fruitlessness of these reflections, i arose from the green leather chair in which you used to sit kissing and whispering with miss and oscar, and plunged wildly into the elections, which convinced me that five votes were mine for life or death, and two had somewhat lukewarmly supported me; while krug received four, sixteen to eighteen voted for arnim, and twelve to fifteen for alvensleben. i therefore thought it best to retire altogether. since then i have lived here with father; reading, smoking, walking, helping him to eat lampreys, and joining in a farce called fox-hunting. we go out in the pouring rain, or at six degrees of frost, accompanied by ihle, bellin, and charles, surround an old bush in a sportsmanlike way, silent as the grave, as the wind blows through the cover, where we are all fully convinced—even perhaps my father—that the only game consists of a few old women gathering faggots—and not another living thing. then ihle, charles, and a couple of hounds, making the strangest and most prodigious noise, particularly ihle, burst into the thicket, my father standing perfectly stock still, with his rifle just as if he fully expected some beast, until ihle comes out, shouting “hu! la! la! fuss! hey! hey!” in the queerest shrieks. then my father asks me, in the coolest manner, if i have not seen something; and i reply, with most natural air of astonishment, nothing in the world! then, growling at the rain, we start for another bush, where ihle is sure we shall find, and play the farce over again. this goes on for three or four hours, without my father, ihle, and fingal exhibiting the least symptom of being tired. besides this, we visit the orangery twice a day, and the sheep-pens once, consult the four thermometers in the parlor every hour, mark the weather-glass, and since bright weather has set in have brought all the clocks so exactly with the sun, that the clock in the library is only one stroke behind all the rest. charles v. was a silly fellow! you can understand that, with such a multitude of things to do, we have no time to visit parsons; as they have no votes at the elections, i did not go at all—impossible. bellin has been for these three days full of a journey to stendal he made, and about the coach which he did not catch. the elbe is frozen, wind s. e. e., the last new thermometer from berlin marks 8° (27° fahr.) barometer rising 28.8 in. i just mention this to show you how you[111] might write more homely particulars to father in your letters, as they amuse him hugely—who has been to see you and curts, whom you visit, what you have had for dinner, how the horses are, and the servants quarrel, whether the doors crack, and the windows are tight—in short, trifles, facts! mark me, too, that he detests the name papa—avis au lecteur! antonie wrote him a very pretty letter on his birthday, and sent him a green purse, at which papa was deeply moved, and replied in two pages! the rohrs have lately passed through here without showing themselves; they baited at the inn at hohen-g?hren for two hours, and sat, wife and children and all, with ten smoking countrymen, in the taproom! bellin declared they were angry with us; this is very sad and deeply affects me! our father sends best love, and will soon follow me to pomerania—he thinks about christmas. there is a café dansant to-morrow at genthin; i shall look in, to fire away at the old landrath, and take my leave of the circle for at least four months. i have seen miss ——; she has moments when she is exceedingly pretty, but she will lose her complexion very soon. i was in love with her for twenty-four hours. greet oscar heartily from me, and farewell, my angel; don’t hang up your bride’s rank by the tail, and remember me to curts. if you are not at a. by the eighth—i’ll!—but enough of that. entirely your own “forever,”
bismarck.
otto von bismarck, on his sixteenth birthday, as his brother had been before him, was confirmed at berlin, in the trinity church by schleiermacher, at the easter of 1830. the same year he went to board with professor prévost, the father of hofrath prévost, now an official in the foreign office under bismarck; and as the house was very remote from the frederick william gymnasium in the k?nigs strasse, he quitted it for the berlin gymnasium, zum grauen kloster. bismarck, after a year, passed from professor prévost to dr. bonnell, afterwards director of the frederick-werder gymnasium, then at the grauen kloster, but who had not long before been bismarck’s teacher at the frederick william. bismarck remained with him until, at easter, 1832, he quitted the kloster after his examination, to study law.
this is an outline of bismarck’s life in his boyhood and school-days;[112] let us endeavor to form some picture of the lad and youth, from the reports of his tutors and contemporaries.
we see junker otto leaving his father’s house at a very early age, as did his brother. the reasons for this we can not assign, but no doubt they were well meant, although scarcely wise. bismarck used subsequently himself to say that his early departure from the paternal roof was any thing but advantageous to him. perhaps his mother was afraid he might get too early spoilt; for with his gay nature and constant friendliness, the little boy early won all hearts. he was especially spoilt by his father, and by lotte schmeling, his mother’s maid, and his own nurse.
at the boarding-school of plamann in berlin, whither he was next brought, he did not get on at all well. this then very renowned institution had adopted the thorough system of old jahn, and carried out the theory of “hardening up,” then fashionable, by starving, exposure, and so forth—not without carrying it to extremes in practice. bismarck, who had always submitted meekly to all his masters, could not, in later days, refrain from complaining bitterly of the severity with which he was treated in this institution. he was very miserable there, and longed for home so much, that when they were out walking, he could not help weeping whenever he saw a plough at work. the masters were especially obnoxious to him on account of the strictness with which they insisted on gymnastics and athletic sports, from the hatred of the french they methodically preached, and by the tough german usage they exercised towards the little scion of nobility. in his paternal house, bismarck had not been educated in class-hatred, as it is called; on the contrary, his mother was very liberal, and had no sympathy with the nobility. marriages between nobles and citizens were then much more unfrequent; madame von bismarck had very likely encountered some slights from the proud families of the alt mark and of pomerania, and caste feeling could scarcely have been felt by bismarck in his childhood. it was not any want of sympathy with his school-fellows, but the democratic doctrines of some of the masters, which roused the junker in the bosom of the proud lad. we shall see that in later years it was the incapacity of two masters at the graue kloster which caused them to handle him[113] ungently, because of his noble birth, and thus impelled him to resistance.
it is easy to understand that otto von bismarck, as long as he stayed at the hateful plamann institute, and at the gymnasium, longed ardently for the holidays, for these times are the bright stars in the heaven of every schoolboy.
and how was the holiday journey performed in those days from berlin to kniephof in the circle naugard? the stagecoach of nagler—then the pride of prussia—set off in the evening from berlin, and arrived at stettin at noon the next day. there were not over-good roads at that time from berlin to the capital of pomerania. from stettin young bismarck proceeded, with horses sent by his parents, to gollnow, where his grandfather was born, and where proverbially there was a fire once a fortnight. in gollnow he slept at the house of an aged widow named dalmer, who held some relation to the family. this aged lady used to tell the eager lad stories of his great grandfather the colonel von bismarck, who fell at czaslau, and who once lay in garrison at gollnow with his regiment of dragoons—the schulenburg regiment, afterwards the anspach bayreuth. after almost a century, the memory of the famous warrior and[114] huntsman remained alive. stories were told of the colonel’s fine dogs and horses. when he gave a banquet, not only did the sound of trumpet accompany each toast, but the dragoons fired off volleys in the hall, to heighten the noise. then the colonel would march with the whole mess, preceded by the band and followed by the whole regiment, to the bridge of ihna, where the wooden donkey stood. this terrible instrument of punishment—riding the donkey was like riding the rail—was then cast into the ihna, amidst execrations and applause. “all offenders are forgiven, and the donkey shall die!” but the applause of the dragoons could not have been very sincere, for they knew very well that the provost would set up the donkey in all its terrors the very next morning; therefore they only huzzaed to please their facetious colonel.
this is a picture of garrison life under king frederick william i. there still exists a hunting register belonging to this old worthy, which reports that the old soldier in one year had shot a[115] hundred stags—an unlikely event nowadays. one of the first sportsmen of the present day—h.r.h. prince frederick charles of prussia—shot three hundred head of game between the 18th of september, 1848, and the 18th of september, 1868, pronounced “worthy of fire.” a correspondence of the old colonel’s is still extant, which evinces a highly eccentric stanchness; in this his cousin, the cunning diplomatist von dewitz, afterwards ambassador to vienna, is severely enough handled. it was doubtless from these statements of the acute colonel of cavalry that the great frederick did not allow his son, charles alexander, to accompany him to vienna in the embassy, but ordered him to become a cornet, with some very unflattering expressions concerning the diplomatist.
the next day young otto von bismarck used to leave gollnow, and thus on the third day he reached kniephof, where for three weeks he led a glorious life, troubled only by a few holiday tasks. among the most pleasant events of holiday time were visits to zimmerhausen, to the blanckenburgs, which possessed an additional charm from a sort of cheese-cake prepared in this locality.
from plamann’s school, bismarck passed to the frederick william gymnasium; and here he immediately attracted the attention of a master with whom he was afterwards to be more closely associated, and of whom mention will afterwards be made in this work. this gentleman (the director, dr. bonnell) relates:—“my attention was drawn to bismarck on the very day of his entry, on which occasion the new boys sat in the schoolroom on rows of benches in order that the masters could overlook the new comers with attention, during the inauguration. otto von bismarck sat—as i still distinctly remember, and often have related—with visible eagerness, a clear and pleasant boyish face and bright eyes, in a gay and lightsome mood among his comrades, so that it caused me to think, ‘that’s a nice boy; i’ll keep my eye upon him.’ he became my pupil first when he entered the upper third. i was transferred at michaelmas, 1829, from the berlin gymnasium to the graue kloster, to which bismarck also came in the following year. he became an inmate of my house at easter, 1831, where he behaved himself in my modest household, then numbering only my wife and my infant son, in a[116] friendly and confiding manner. in every respect he was most charming; he seldom quitted us of an evening; if i was sometimes absent, he conversed in a friendly and innocent manner with my wife, and evinced a strong inclination for domestic life. he won our hearts and we met his advances with affection and care—so that his father, when he quitted us, declared that his son had never been so happy as with us.”
bismarck to this day has preserved the most grateful intimacy with dr. bonnell and his wife; even as minister-president he loved to cast a passing glance at the window of the small chamber he had occupied in k?nigsgraben no. 18, while he resided with dr. bonnell. the window is now built up. the powerful minister and great statesman ever remained the friendly and kindly otto von bismarck towards his old teacher. he sought his counsel in the selection of a tutor for his sons, and afterwards sent them to the werder gymnasium, that still flourishes under the thoroughly excellent guidance of bonnell.
among the favorite masters of bismarck at the frederick william gymnasium, he distinguished professor siebenhaar, an excellent man, who subsequently unfortunately died by his own hand. he found himself welcomed at the graue kloster by koepke with great friendship—his youth alone prevented his being placed in the first class. besides bonnell, he here found a great friend in dr. wendt; bollermann, however, and the mathematician fischer, raised the junker in him in an unwise manner. he also got into many disputes with the french professor, and learnt english in an incredibly short space of time, in order not to be submitted to the test of the french professor; as it was allowed to the pupils to choose either english or french for a prize theme.
as a pupil, in general, bismarck’s conduct preserved him almost entirely from punishment, and seldom was he amenable to censure. he exhibited such powers of understanding, and his talents were so considerable, that he was able to perform his required tasks without great exertion. he even at that time exhibited a marked preference for historical studies—especially that of his native brandenburg, prussia, and germany. he laid the foundations of his eminent historical attainments, afterwards so formidable to his opponents in parliamentary discussion, in these[117] youthful years. the style of his latin essays was always clear and elegant, although perhaps not, in a grammatical sense, always correct. the decision on his prize essay of easter, 1832, was, oratio est lucida ac latina, sed non satis castigata. (the language is clear and latin, but not sufficiently polished.)
on his departure for the university, bismarck was not seventeen years of age, and possessed none of the broad imposing presence he later attained; his stature was thin and graceful. his countenance possessed the brightness of youthful liberality, and his eyes beamed with goodness. his eldest son herbert now recalls in his likeness the vivid image of his father in those last days of his pupilage. bismarck has inherited his tall stature from his father, who, with his fine presence and cultured manners, had been a personage of most aristocratic appearance. but in general the elder son, bernhard, was more like his father than the younger brother.
when the cholera broke out in berlin, in 1831, in the general[118] cholera mania, bismarck was desired by his father to return home so soon as the first case had declared itself in that city. like a true schoolboy, it was utterly impossible for him to receive the news too soon. he hired a horse, and several times rode to the “frederick’s field,” from which district the cholera was expected. he, however, fell with the horse by the new guard house, and was carried into his dwelling with a sprained leg. to his greatest annoyance he was now obliged to remain for a considerable time in bed, and endure the approach of the cholera to berlin, before he could leave. but he never lost his gayety and good humor on this account. bonnell, as might be expected, was greatly alarmed, when, on returning home, he learnt that bismarck had tumbled from the horse and had been carried to his room; but he was soon comforted by the good temper with which the patient recounted the particulars of the accident.
bismarck awaited his convalescence with patient resignation, and when he was finally able to enter upon his journey to[119] kniephof, an event took place owing to the strange cholera measures caused by the cholera mania. travellers by stage, for instance, might not alight at such places as bernau or werneuchen on any account, but the coaches drove side by side until their doors touched and then the exchanges were effected, while the local guard paraded with spears in a manner almost falstaffian. in another place, bismarck was allowed to alight, but he could enter no house; there was a table spread in the open street, where tea and bread and butter were provided for travellers, and the latter breakfasted, while the inhabitants retired to look upon them in abject terror. when bismarck called to a waitress to pay her, she fled shrieking, and he was obliged to leave the price of his breakfast on the table. the saddest case was that of a lady traveller, who was proceeding as governess to count borck’s mansion, in stargard. this poor girl dreaded travelling, and got into the condition which so outwardly resembles an attack of cholera. the doctors of stargard were in an uproar, so the poor governess was put into quarantine in the town jail. bismarck himself went into quarantine, and was first locked up in the police office at naugard, and afterwards at his native place. his mother, it should be mentioned, had taken every precaution then in fashion, and had engaged a retired military surgeon, named geppert, who had seen much of the cholera during his residence in russia, as a cholera doctor, for her immediate service. with this doctor bismarck was used to hold arguments, for though his conversation was rude and desultory, he could tell the story of his voyages in a practical and animated manner. madame von bismarck would have been very angry had she had an idea of the carelessness with which her son observed the severe quarantine rules. however, despite all the pains which the wise lady took, cholera showed itself on her estate, while all the neighbors were free from it. at jarchelin mill two boys had bathed, against the regulations; they had eaten fruit and drunk water—they were sacrificed to the disease. it can be easily understood what a nuisance the quarantine, even in its mildest form, must have been for bismarck, who never believed in the infectious nature of cholera. in later times, when the two brothers farmed the estates, there was a case of cholera in külz; no one dared to enter the house; the two bismarcks[120] went in, and declared that they themselves would not quit it until they were properly relieved. this shamed every one, and proper medical aid was obtained.
as a boy and youth bismarck was not usually very animated. there was rather a quiet and observant carriage in him, especially evinced by the “blank”, eyes, as they were once very aptly called by a lady; these qualities were soon accompanied by determination and endurance in no insignificant degree. he was obliging and thoughtful in social intercourse, and soon acquired the reputation of being “good company,” without having transgressed, in the ways so common among social persons. he never allowed himself to be approached without politeness, and severely censured intruders. his mental qualifications very early showed themselves to be considerable; memory and comprehensiveness aided him remarkably in his study of modern languages. he exhibited a love for “dumb” animals even as a child; he went to much expense in fine horses and dogs; his magnificent danish dog, so faithful to him, long continued a distinguished personage in the whole neighborhood of kniephof. riding and hunting were his favorite pastimes. he has always been an intrepid and elegant horseman, without being exactly a “riding-master.” to this he added the accomplishment of swimming; he was a good fencer and dancer, but averse to athletic sports. the gymnastic ground of the plamann institution had caused him to regard that branch of culture with profound dislike. as a boy and youth he had grown tall, but he was slim and thin; his frame did not develop itself laterally until a later time; his face was pale, but his health was always good, and he was, from his youth up, a hearty eater. a certain proportion of daring was to be noticed in his carriage, but expressed in a kindly way; his whole gait was frank and free, but with some reticence. thus we do not find that he retained many friends of his boyhood and pupilage, a time usually so rife in friendships for most men. but such friendships as he did form, continued for life. among bismarck’s friends of the gymnasium period, were, besides moritz von blanckenburg, oscar von arnim, afterwards his brother-in-law, william von schenk, afterwards the possessor of schloss mansfeld and member of the chamber of deputies, and hans von dewitz, of gross milzow in mecklenburg. at[121] the university he added to these count kayserlingk of courland, the american lothrop motley,[27] oldekop of hanover, afterwards councillor of war, and lauenstein, subsequently pastor of altenwerder on the elbe.
in conclusion, we should not omit to say that he from youth preserved a proper attitude towards his domestics; they almost all loved him, although his demands were heavy on them at times. afterwards, while administering the pomeranian estates with his brother, he censured one of his junior inspectors very severely. the inspector sought to turn aside the reproaches by pleading his own dislike to farming, that he had been forced to it, and so forth.
“i have long attested myself,” the young man concluded.
“far from sufficient!” replied bismarck, dryly.
this reply brought the inspector to his senses; since that time he has become an excellent agriculturist, and to this day thinks gratefully of bismarck’s “far from sufficient!”
this “far from sufficient!” is associated in the alt mark with the name of bismarck from olden time; in the country speech of the district it is proverbial.
“noch lange nicht genug! (far from sufficient!) quoth bismarck.”
“ueber und über! (over and over!) quoth schulenburg.”
“grade aus! (straight forward!) quoth itzenplitz (lüderitz?).”
“meinetwegen! (i care not!) quoth alvensleben.”
it would be interesting to trace the origin of these peasant proverbs. the alvenslebens since early times were reputed “mild;” they are the gens valeria (valerius poblicola) of the alt mark. the schulenburgs are “severe,” the gens marcia (marcius rex) of that country; and certainly we can perceive some affinity between these qualities and the proverbs; but what may the “noch lange nicht genug! sagt bismarck!” mean? perhaps the energetic striving, the essential characteristic of the whole family in a greater or lesser degree: an element of progress which ever, in their own and others’ action, exclaims, “far from sufficient!”
