deliver　the　watch；　that　it　might　be　sworn　to　in　open　court；　and　when　the
  constable　put　his　hand　to　his　pocket　the　only　piece　of　damning　evidence
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  had　vanished；　stolen　by　the　nimble　fingers　of　one　of　Moll's　officers。
  Thus　with　admirable　trickery　and　a　perfect　sense　of　dramatic　effect　she
  contrived　her　escape；　and　never　again　ran　the　risk　of　a　sudden　discovery。
  For　experience　brought　caution　in　its　train；　and　though　this　wiliest　of
  fences　lived　almost　within　the　shadow　of　Newgate；　though　she　was　as
  familiar　in　the　prison　yard　as　at　the　Globe　Tavern；　her　nightly　resort；　she
  obeyed　the　rules　of　life　and　law　with　so　precise　an　exactitude　that
  suspicion　could　never　fasten　upon　her。　　Her　kingdom　was　midway
  between　robbery　and　justice。　　And　as　she　controlled　the　mystery　of
  thieving　so；　in　reality；　she　meted　out　punishment　to　the　evildoer。　　Honest
  citizens　were　robbed　with　small　risk　to　life　or　property。　　For　Moll　always
  frowned　upon　violence；　and　was　ever　ready　to　restore　the　booty　for　a　fair
  ransom。　　And　the　thieves；　driven　by　discipline　to　a　certain　humanity；
  plied　their　trade　with　an　obedience　and　orderliness　hitherto　unknown。
  Moll's　then　was　no　mean　achievement。　　Her　career　was　not　circumscribed
  by　her　trade；　and　the　Roaring　Girl；　the　daredevil　companion　of　the　wits
  and　bloods；　enjoyed　a　fame　no　less　glorious　than　the　Queen　of　Thieves。
  ‘Enter　Moll　in　a　frieze　jerkin　and　a　black　safeguard。'　　Thus　in　the　old
  comedy　she　comes　upon　the　stage；　and　truly　it　was　by　her　clothes　that　she
  was　first　notorious。　　By　accident　a　woman；　by　habit　a　man；　she　must
  needs　invent　a　costume　proper　to　her　pursuits。　　But　she　was　no　shrieking
  reformer；　no　fanatic　spying　regeneration　in　a　pair　of　breeches。　　Only　in
  her　attire　she　showed　her　wit；　and　she　went　to　a　bull…baiting　in　such　a
  dress　as　well　became　her　favourite　sport。　　She　was　not　of　those　who
  ‘walk　in　spurs　but　never　ride。'　　The　jerkin；　the　doublet；　the　galligaskins
  were　put　on　to　serve　the　practical　purposes　of　life；　not　to　attract　the
  policeman　or　the　spinster。　　And　when　a　petticoat　spread　its　ample　folds
  beneath　the　doublet；　not　only　was　her　array　handsome；　but　it　symbolised
  the　career　of　one　who　was　neither　man　nor　woman；　and　yet　both。　　After　a
  while；　however；　the　petticoat　seemed　too　tame　for　her　stalwart　temper；　and
  she　exchanged　it　for　the　great　Dutch　slop；　habited　in　which　unseemly
  garment　she　is　pictured　in　the　ancient　prints。
  Up　and　down　the　town　she　romped　and　scolded；　earning　the　name
  which　Middleton　gave　her　in　her　green　girlhood。　　‘She　has　the　spirit　of
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  four　great　parishes；'　says　the　wit　in　the　comedy；　‘and　a　voice　that　will
  drown　all　the　city。'　　If　a　gallant　stood　in　the　way；　she　drew　upon　him　in　an
  instant；　and　he　must　be　a　clever　swordsman　to　hold　his　ground　against　the
  tomboy　who　had　laid　low　the　German　fencer　himself。　　A　good　fellow
  always；　she　had　ever　a　merry　word　for　the　passer…by；　and　so　sharp　was　her
  tongue　that　none　ever　put　a　trick　upon　her。　　Not　to　know　Moll　was　to　be
  inglorious；　and　she　‘slipped　from　one　company　to　another　like　a　fat　eel
  between　a　Dutchman's　fingers。'　　Now　at　Parker's　Ordinary；　now　at　the
  Bear　Garden；　she　frequented　only　the　haunts　of　men；　and　not　until　old　age
  came　upon　her　did　she　endure　patiently　the　presence　of　women。
  Her　voice　and　speech　were　suited　to　the　galligaskin。　　She　was　a　true
  disciple　of　Maltre　Franois；　hating　nothing　so　much　as　mincing
  obscenity；　and　if　she　flavoured　her　discourse　with　many　a　blasphemous
  quip；　the　blasphemy　was　‘not　so　malicious　as　customary。'　　Like　the　blood
  she　was；　she　loved　good　ale　and　wine；　and　she　regarded　it　among　her
  proudest　titles　to　renown　that　she　was　the　first　of　women　to　smoke　tobacco。
  Many　was　the　pound　of　best　Virginian　that　she　bought　of　Mistress　Gallipot；
  and　the　pipe；　with　monkey；　dog；　and　eagle；　is　her　constant　emblem。　　Her
  antic　attire；　the　fearless　courage　of　her　pranks；　now　and　again　involved　her
  in　disgrace　or　even　jeopardised　her　freedom；　but　her　unchanging　gaiety
  made　light　of　disaster；　and　still　she　laughed　and　rollicked　in　defiance　of
  prude　and　pedant。
  Her　companion　in　many　a　fantastical　adventure　was　Banks；　the　vintner
  of　Cheapside；　that　same　Banks　who　taught　his　horse　to　dance　and　shod
  him　with　silver。　　Now　once　upon　a　time　a　right　witty　sport　was　devised
  between　them。　　The　vintner　bet　Moll　20　that　she　would　not　ride
  from　Charing　Cross　to　Shoreditch　astraddle　on　horseback；　in　breeches　and
  doublet；　boots　and　spurs。
  The　hoyden　took　him　up　in　a　moment；　and　added　of　her　own　devilry　a
  trumpet　and　banner。　　She　set　out　from　Charing　Cross　bravely　enough；　and
  a　trumpeter　being　an　unwonted　spectacle；　the　eyes　of　all　the　town　were
  clapped　upon　her。　　Yet　none　knew　her　until　she　reached　Bishopsgate；
  where　an　orange…wench　set　up　the　cry；　‘Moll　Cutpurse　on　horseback！'
  Instantly　the　cavalier　was　surrounded　by　a　noisy　mob。　　Some　would　have
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  torn　her　from　the　saddle　for　an　imagined　insult　upon　womanhood；　others；
  more　wisely　minded；　laughed　at　the　prank　with　good…humoured　merriment。
  Every　minute　the　throng　grew　denser；　and　it　had　fared　hardly　with
  roystering　Moll；　had　not　a　wedding　and　the　arrest　of　a　debtor　presently
  distracted　the　gaping　idlers。　　As　the　mob　turned　to　gaze　at　the　fresh
  wonder；　she　spurred　her　horse　until　she　gained　Newington　by　an
  unfrequented　lane。　　There　she　waited　until　night　should　cover　her
  progress　to　Shoreditch；　and　thus　peacefully　she　returned　home　to　lighten
  the　vintner's　pocket　of　twenty　pounds。
  The　fame　of　the　adventure　spread　abroad；　and　that　the　scandal　should
  not　be　repeated　Moll　was　summoned　before　the　Court　of　Arches　to　answer
  a　charge　of　appearing　publicly　in　mannish　apparel。　　The　august　tribunal
  had　no　terror　for　her；　and　she　received　her　sentence　to　do　penance　in　a
  white　sheet　at　Paul's　Cross　during　morning…service　on　a　Sunday　with　an
  audacious　contempt。　　‘They　might　as　well　have　shamed　a　black　dog　as
  me；'　she　proudly　exclaimed；　and　why　should　she　dread　the　white　sheet；
  when　all　the　spectators　looked　with　a　lenient　eye　upon　her　professed
  discomfiture？'　　For　a　halfpenny；'　she　said；　‘she　would　have　travelled　to
  every　market…town　of　England　in　the　guise　of　a　penitent；'　and　having
  tippled　off　three　quarts　of　sack　she　swaggered　to　Paul's　Cross　in　the
  maddest　of　humours。　　But　not　all　the　courts　on　earth　could　lengthen　her
  petticoat；　or　contract　the　Dutch　slop　by　a　single　fold。　　For　a　while；
  perhaps；　she　chastened　her　costume；　yet　she　soon　reverted　to　the　ancient
  mode；　and　to　her　dying　day　went　habited　as　a　man。
  As　bear　baiting　was　the　passion　of　her　life；　so　she　was　scrupulous　in
  the　care　and　training　of　her　dogs。　　She　gave　them　each　a　trundle…bed；
  wrapping　them　from　the　cold　in　sheets　and　blankets；　while　their　food
  would　not　have　dishonoured　a　gentleman's　table。　　Parrots；　too；　gave　a
  sense　of　colour　and　companionship　to　her　house；　and　it　was　in　this　love　of
  pets；　and　her　devotion　to　cleanliness；　that　she　showed　a　trace　of　dormant
  womanhood。　　Abroad　a　ribald　and　a　scold；　at　home　she　was　the　neatest　of
  housewives；　and　her　parlour；　with　its　mirrors　and　its　manifold　ornaments；
  was　the　envy　of　the　neighbours。　　So　her　trade　flourished；　and　she　lived　a
  life　of　comfort；　of　plenty　even；　until　the　Civil　War　threw　her　out　of　work。
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  When　an　unnatural　conflict　set　the　whole　country　at　loggerheads；　what
  occasion　was　there　for　the　honest　prig？　　And　it　is　not　surprising　that；　like
  all　the　gentlemen　adventurers　of　the　age；　Moll　remained　most　stubbornly
  loyal　to　the　King's　cause。　　She　made　the　conduit　in　Fleet　Street　run　with
  wine　when　Charles　came　to　London　in　1638；　and　it　was　her　amiable
  pleasantry　to　give　the　name　of　Strafford　to　a　clever；　cunning　bull；　and　to
  dub　the　dogs　that　assailed　him　Pym；　Hampden；　and　the　rest；　that　right
  heartily　she　might　applaud　the　courage　of　Strafford　as　he　threw　off　his
  unwary　assailants。
  So　long　as　the　quarrel　lasted；　she　was　compelled　to　follow　a　profession
  more　ancient　than　the　fence's；　for　there　is　one　passion　which　war　itself
  cannot　extinguish。　　When　once　the　King　had　laid　his　head　‘down　as　upon
  a　bed；'　when　once　the　Protector　had　proclaimed　his　supremacy；　the
  industry　of　the　road　revived；　and　there　was　not　a　single　diver　or　rumpad
  that　did　not　declare　eternal　war　upon　the　black…hearted　Regicides。　　With　a
  laudable　devotion　to　her　chosen　cause；　Moll　despatched　the　most
  experienced　of　her　gang　to　rob　Lady　Fairfax　on　her　way　to　church；　and
  there　is　a　tradition　that　the　Roaring　Girl；　hearing　that　Fairfax　himself
  would　pass　by　Hounslow；　r