| J. C. Squire, ed. A Book of Women’s Verse. 1921. | | | | Fortune Mistaken | | By ‘Ephelia’ (17th Cent.?) |
| | | THOUGH Fortune have so far from me removed | |
| All that I wish, or all I ever loved, | |
| And robbed our Europe of its chief delight, | |
| To bless the Africk world with Strephon’s sight: | |
| There with a lady beauteous, rich and young, | 5 |
| Kind, witty, virtuous, the best born among | |
| The Africk maids, presents this happy swain, | |
| Not to oblige him, but to give me pain: | |
| Then to my ears, by tattling fame, conveys | |
| The tale with large additions; and to raise | 10 |
| My anger higher, tells me ’tis designed | |
| That Hymen’s rites their hands and hearts must bind. | |
| Now she believes my business done, and I | |
| At the dire news would fetch a sigh and die: | |
| But she ’s deceived, I in my Strephon grow, | 15 |
| And if he ’s happy, I must needs be so: | |
| Or if Fate could our interests disjoin, | |
| At his good fortune I should ne’er repine, | |
| Though ’twere my ruin; but I exult to hear, | |
| Insulting Mopsa I no more shall fear; | 20 |
| No more he’ll smile upon that ugly Witch: | |
| In that one thought I’m happy, great and rich. | |
| And blind dame Fortune, meaning to destroy, | |
| Has filled my soul with extasies of joy: | |
| To him I love she ’s given a happy fate, | 25 |
| And quite destroyed and ruined her I hate. | | | | |
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