Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

 

I was as virtuously given as a gentleman need to be; virtuous enough; swore little; diced not above seven times a week; went to a bawdy-house not above once in a quarter -- of an hour; paid money that I borrowed -- three or four times; lived well, and in good compass: and now I live out of all order, out of all compass.

 

-Sir John Falstaff

King Henry the Fourth Part I      Act III Scene iii, Line 20

 

Good old Falstaff. This is classic Falstaff, rambling on and on, and talking mostly about himself. I guess you can take it for what it’s worth, and context is almost irrelevant here. I will tell you that the word compass is taken to mean moderation or limits, and also that I don’t think Sir John ever lived in good compass. And that’s about all I feel I need to tell you about these lines.

I just realized who Falstaff reminds me of in my own life: Johnny Stevens. I wish I had a picture of Johnny, but alas I don’t.

Wrong again! I do have a picture of him.

That's Johnny on the far left. To the right of Johnny, making a funny face, is Steve Mikune, and to the right of Steve is yours truly. And you thought we were reaching back into the archives with the ND patch yesterday. This photo goes back even further!