Mojo, The Bard, & Me

 

Bootless is flight,--they follow us with wings;

And weak are we, and  cannot shun pursuit.

-Edward

King Henry the Sixth Part III       Act II, scene iii, line 18

A few program notes: First off, we took a break for a quick trip out to MN for the State Fair. So I haven’t been looking at any of Will’s words since Wednesday. No, I couldn’t find much trace of Will at the Minnesota State Fair. Secondly, I’ve decided, for today at least, to take a break from Merchant. I’ll probably get back to that one soon, but for today, here we are in the thick of battle with the players of Henry VI, Part III.

Okay then. Bootless: this word is in the current MW online. I’m familiar with it mostly from The Tempest where Miranda talks about a ‘bootless inquisition’, so that I know it means useless. It’s a good word and I use it; though I’m not sure people know what I mean when I do. Flight is useless.  

Anyway, I skipped forward to do some reading in the next scene this morning, where we’re still in the middle of the same battle. In the next scene we have Henry, alone, talking about the how miserable it is to be king and what a good life the homely swain (country youth) has.

        And to conclude,--the shepherd’s homely curds,

His cold thin drink out of his leather bottle,

His wonted sleep under a fresh tree’s shade,

All which secure and sweetly he enjoys,

Is far beyond a prince’s delicates,

His viands sparkling in a golden cup,

His body crouched in a curious bed,

When care, mistrust, and reason waits on him.

Can you believe it? What does Will bring up first when he wants to compare the good, simple life of a shepherd with the misery of being king? Curds! Will is talking about curds, and the fact that they're better than anything a king gets! Curds!

These two Minnesotans live for their annual taste of Cheese Curds! I didn't think I'd found much trace of Will at the Fair, but apparently I did; without knowing it.

Curds!