In a somer seson, whan softe was the sonne, I shoop me into shroudes as I a sheep were, In habite as

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In a somer seson, whan softe was the sonne,I
shoop me into shroudes as I a sheep were,In
habite as an heremite unholy of werkes,Wente
wide in this world wondres to here.Ac on a May
morwenynge on Malverne hillesMe bifel a ferly,
of Fairye me thoghte.I was wery forwandred and
wente me to resteUnder a brood bank by a bourne
sydeAnd as I lay and lenede and loked on the
watres,I slombred into a slepyng, it sweyed so
murye.Thanne gan I meten a merveillous swevene
-- That I was in a wildernesse, wiste I nevere
where.Ac as I biheeld into the eest an heigh
to the sonne,I seigh a tour on a toft trieliche
ymaked,A deep dale bynethe, a dongeon
therinne,With depe diches and derke and
dredfulle of sighte.A fair feeld ful of folk
fond I ther bitwene -- Of alle manere of men,
the meene and the riche,Werchynge and wandrynge
as the world asketh. Piers Plowman B 1.1-19
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Piers Plowman the conventional view of the
text A-Version c.2500 ll. 11 passus
prologue late 1360s (Kane 1368-74) 10 MSS
(scattered) 3 dreams B-Version c. 7200 ll.
(700 added 4000 continuation) prologue 20
passus late 1370s (Kane 1377-81) 14 MSS
Crowley 1550 print 1 B A MS. Metropolitan
circulation. 8 dreams total, incl. 2
dreams-within-a-dream C-Version Revision of B
100 lines longer w/many alterations
omissions Prologue 22 passus (last two
unrevised) by 1387 (Kane) 1388 (Middleton) 18
MSS 6 AC 3 C A B (western circulation)
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