Eclipse left behind her childhood that day, not because a
stinkard, as she called him, had forced her to lie down with him, but because she received her calling, one she said I would have to wait to see.
STINKARD (one who stinks)--STUNKARD (sulky, sullen)
'Sblood, thou
stinkard, I'll learn you how to gust!
Stinkard and gorbelly just don't have the same staying power as words today.
Sithence then the place is so free in entertainement, allowing a stoole as well to the Farmers sonne as to your Templer: that your Stinkard has the selfe same libertie to be there in his Tobacco-Fumes, which your sweet Courtier hath: and that your Carman and Tinker claime as strong a voice in their suffrage, and sit to giue iudgement on the plaies life and death, as well as the prowdest Momus among the tribe of Critick: It is fit [y.sup.t] hee, whom the most tailors bils do make roome for; when he comes should not be basely (like a vyoll) casd up in a corner.(37)
I coniure you (as you come of the right Goose-caps) staine not your house; but when at a new play you take up the twelue-penny roome next the stage, (because the Lords & you may seeme to be haile fellow wel met) there draw forth this booke, read alowd, laugh alowd, and play the Antickes, that all the garlike mouthd stinkards may cry out, Away with the Foole:(34)
The use of the expression 'garlike mouthd stinkards' makes it clear that Dekker is referring to the public playhouses.
They screwed their scurvy jawes and look't awry, Like hissing snakes adjudging it to die: Clapping, or hissing, is the onely meane That tries and searches out a well write Sceane, The
stinkards oft will hisse without a cause, And for a baudy jeast will give applause.
For now the
stinkards, in their Irefull wraths Bepelted me with Lome, with Stones, and Laths, One madly sits like bottle-Ale, and hisses, Another throws a stone, and cause he misses He yawnes and baules, and cryes Away, Away: Another cryes out Iohn begin the Play ...