The Life and Death of Mrs. Mary Frith

Book excerpt: The little known autobiography by the most famous transvestite of the 17th century, published in 1662, three years after her death, and barely tampered with since. Moll Cutpurse ruled the London underworld for decades, dealing in stolen goods and both male and female prostitutes. She is most familiar to modern readers as the heroine of Middleton and Dekker's play The Roaring Girl. A facsimile of the original edition follows a well annotated version in modern type and spelling. No index. Annotation copyright by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR