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 syde;And 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.A[c] 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

Piers Plowman: the conventional view of the text

A-Versionc.2500 ll.; 11 passus + prologuelate 1360s (Kane 1368-74)10 MSS (scattered)3 dreams

B-Versionc. 7200 ll. (700 added; 4000 continuation); prologue + 20 passuslate 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-VersionRevision of B; 100 lines longer w/many alterations & omissions;

Prologue + 22 passus (last two unrevised)by 1387 (Kane); 1388 (Middleton)18 MSS; 6 A+C; 3 C + A + B (western circulation)