But then o'er my fancy crept,

Those who hail'd me while I slept.

There were those; of olden time,

Milton, wond'rous, wild, sublime—

Chaucer, of the many tales;

Spenser, soft as summer gales,

With a mild and gracious mien

Leading on his "Faery Queene."

Shakspeare, child of fancy, stood

Smiling in a mirthful mood,