I turned the cover of a book,
And found it was a gate
Into a field where one might look,
Unwearied, soon and late.
The dreams of every land and sea
Were all about me there.
Kind spirits came and talked with me,
And flowers bloomed everywhere.
I saw the years that long had sped,
The wondrous scenes of yore.
The mighty past gave up its dead,
They lived and spoke once more.
The greatest minds that ever thought,
And hearts that ever beat,
Came, and their richest treasures brought
To lay them at my feet.