4. 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 hilles Me bifel a ferly, of Fairye me thoghte. I was wery forwandred and wente me to reste Under 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

5. 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 A+C; 3 C + A + B (western circulation)