The lords of life, the lords of life, -
I saw them pass,
In their own guise,
Like and unlike,
Portly and grim, -
Use and Surprise,
Surface and Dream,
Succession swift and spectral Wrong,
Temperament without a tongue,
And the inventor of the game
Omnipresent without name; -
Some to see, some to be guessed,
They marched from east to west:
Little man, least of all,
Among the legs of his guardians tall,
Walked about with puzzled look.
Him by the hand dear Nature took,
Dearest Nature, strong and kind,
Whispered, ˜Darling, never mind!
To-morrow they will wear another face,
The founder thou; these are thy race!'