Fortune Mistaken

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,

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

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,

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;

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,

And quite destroyed and ruined her I hate.