Ephelia was the pseudonym of a Restoration writer in England. Her writing was licensed by the king's censor in 1678, and critics have argued for a few centuries about Ephelia's real identity. Ephelia was thought to be a literary hoax by some, perpetrated by Sir George Etherege and a circle of others. Scholar Maureen E. Mulvihill has proposed that Ephelia is Lady Mary Villiers, a highly placed woman at the court of Charles I and II.
Ephelia: Printed Writings 1641-1700
Maureen E. Mulvihill and Betty S. Travitsky. This 2003 publication includes many of the texts written under the name of Ephelia.
Reading Early Modern Women
Subtitle: "An Anthology of Texts in Manuscript and Print, 1550-1700." Helen Ostovich. This book extends our experience with women texts written by many women writers who've been largely forgotten -- including Rachel Speght, whose 1617 pamphlet advocated women's rights.Reading Early Modern Women
The same book as above, but in hardcover for those who want to use it as a reference volume.British Women Poets, 1660-1800: An Anthology
In this 1990 anthology, Ephelia's writings are attributed to Joan Philips.Maids and Mistresses, Cousins and Queens: Women's Alliances in Early Modern Engl
This collection of essays includes some mention of Ephelia, and a footnote that says that this author "continues to elude scholarly attempts to identify her...."