The Rival Widows, or Fair Libertine (1735)

This old-spelling edition gives scholars access to an important but neglected resource for studies of women writers and eighteenth-century theatre. In an original and extensive introduction, Tiffany Potter presents cultural and historical information (including a brief biographical sketch of the playwright) that highlights the scholarly implications of this newly available play. The appendices reproduce documents relating to the playwright Elizabeth Cooper and to the Licensing Act of 1737 (including the text of the Act).