Even now the king hath me extoll’d, And set me up aloft; Now may I wear the brodered guard, And lay in down-bed soft; Now may I purchase house and land, And have all at my will; Now may I build a princely place, My mind for to fulfil; Now may I abrogate the law, As I shall think it good; If any one me now offend, I may demand his blood. According to the proverb old, My mouth I will up make; Now it doth lie all in my hand, To leave or else to take; To deal with justice to my bound, And so to live in hope: But oftentimes the birds be gone, While one for nest doth grope. Do well or ill I dare avouch, Some evil on me will speak: No, truly yet I do not mean The king’s precepts to break; To place I mean for to return My duty to fulfil. [_Exit._ _Enter the_ VICE _with an old capcase on his head, an old pail about his hips for harness, a scummer and a potlid by his side, and a rake on his shoulder_. AMBIDEXTER. Stand away, stand away, for the passion of God; Harnessed I am, prepared to the field: I would have been content at home to have bod, But I am sent forth with my spear and shield. I am appointed to fight against a snail,[233] And Wilkin Wren the ancient shall bear; I doubt not but against him to prevail, To be a man my deeds shall declare. If I overcome him, then a butterfly takes his part, His weapon must be a blue speckled hen: But you shall see me overthrow him with a fart, So without conquest he shall go home again. If I overcome him, I must fight with a fly, And a black pudding the fly’s weapon must be: At the first blow on the ground he shall lie, I will be sure to thrust him through the mouth to the knee. To conquest these fellows the man I will play,[234] Ha, ha, ha, now ye will make me to smile, To see, if I can all men beguile. Ha, my name? my name would you so fain know? Yea, i-wis, shall ye, and that with all speed: I have forgot it, therefore I cannot show; Ha, ha, now I have it, I have it indeed. My name is Ambidexter: I signify one That with both hands finely can play; Now with king Cambyses, and by and by gone: Thus do I run this and that way. For while I mean with a soldier to be, Then give I a leap to Sisamnes the judge; I dare avouch, ye shall his destruction see: To all kind of estates I mean for to trudge. Ambidexter, nay, he is a fellow if ye knew all: Cease for awhile; hereafter hear more ye shall. _Enter three Ruffians_, HUFF, RUFF, _and_ SNUFF, _singing_. HUFF. Gog’s flesh and his wounds, these wars rejoice my heart; By his wounds, I hope to do well, for my part: By Gog’s heart, the world shall go evil, if I do not shift; At some old carl’s bouget I mean for to lift.