The Transvestite Memoirs of the Abbe De Choisy

This remarkable document in the history of transvestism provides a first-hand account of manners and morals in late seventeenth century French society. In a light, intimate style praised by Sainte-Beuve, Choisy recounts his scandalous and entertaining escapades as a transvestite. Reared as a girl by his ambitious mother, the young Choisy dressed in girls' clothes, wore earrings, and was much admired by Louis XIV's homosexual transvestite brother. As the abbot of Saint Seine, Choisy continued to delight in extravagantly feminine attire and in the seduction of young girls, often with the unsuspecting assistance of their parents.