He identified King Henry VIII as the best possible exemplar of the qualities requisite for a man intent on making his way in the world. When Lufkin was younger he wore padding to achieve the right bulk in chest, biceps, and codpiece. Now, aside from the codpiece, Lufkin is no longer in need of padding. His portrayal of a monarch past his prime is unfeigned; unfettered indulgence has given Lufkin the wide-bellied, jaded-eyed sprawl of a true gourmand. Lufkin also has a historically accurate case of gout, a beard of improbable red, a steel-trap strategist’s mind and a tendency to cry over
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