“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!”