In a summer season when soft was the sun

Descriptive details

William Langland, Vision of Piers Plowman, the ‘A’ text. Includes ‘A’ Texts formerly listed under DIMEV 1458; for ‘B’ and ‘C’ Texts, see DIMEV 2459 and DIMEV 2460; for former DIMEV 745, see SOURCE_KEY_CamGon669 copy of DIMEV 2460.

Internal cross references: 0.1458, 0.745, 2459, 2460

Bibliography

Witnesses

1. BodAsh1468III, pp. 307–378

Begins imperfectly at I.142 imperfectly because of the loss of folios; some folios are missing in the middle; first lines discoloured and partly illegible; ends at XI.313.. No music or illustration.

First lines:
He [ ] for us [ ]ly he deyd for vs alle
And [ ] yt wrout hym tene
But mekely with mouth Mercy gan seche
To hauyn on þat puple þat pyned hym to dede…
Last lines:
…Mon persyn with apater noster þe poles of heuyn
I with oute penauns at here partyng into þe blisse of heuyn

2. BodDig145, ff. 2–130

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI; then ‘C’ Text, XII.297-XXIII.. Attributed title: Primus passus de visione Petri ploughman (f. 2). No music or illustration.

First lines:
In a somer season whan soft was the sone
I schope me into schrubbes as I a schepe were…
Last lines:
…And send me happe & heale til I haue pers plowman
And sith I grad after grace til I gan awake

3. BodDou323, ff. 102–140

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI; with scribe’s note at ending, f. 140.. Attributed title: Explicit liber peteri plouman (f. 140). No music or illustration.

First lines:
In a somer sesoun whan softe was the sonne
I schope me to schrondes as I a Schep were…
Last lines:
…Percen with a pater noster þe paleys of heuene
With oute penaunce at here partyng in to heye blysse
Now of þis litel book y haue makyd an ende
Goddis blessyng mote he haue þat drinke wil me sende

4. BodEngPoeta1, ff. 394v col. b–401v col. b

Imperfect at end: ‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI.180.. Attributed title: PEtrus plowmon (f. iii). No music or illustration.

First lines:
IN A somer sesun whon softe was þe sonne
I schop me in to a schroud A scheep as I were…
Last lines:
…Hit is a wel feir lyf quod heo among þe lewed peple
A lyf is I hoten hosebondes hit vsen…

Bibliographical references:

  • Editions: Skeat1867a; Skeat1954;
  • Facsimiles: Doyle1987; Scase2011;

5. BodRawPoe137, ff. 1–41v

Formerly DIMEV 1458; ‘A’ Text, Prologue to XII; at the end: ‘Explicit do wel . Nomen scriptoris . tilot plenus amoris .’.. Attributed title: Hic incipit liber qui uocatur pers plowman (f. 1). No music or illustration.

Internal cross references: 0.1458

First lines:
In a somyr sesoun whenne I south wente
I schop me a schroude as I a schep ware…
Last lines:
…Marie moder and may for man þou be seke
þat barn bryng vs to blys þat bled vp on þe rode

6. OxfUni45, ff. 1–36v

Formerly DIMEV 1458; ‘A’ Text, Prologue to XII.19 ends incomplete in ‘Passus tercius de dowel’ (f. 36v).. Attributed title: Pieres Ploughman fuit homo / mire, Placabilitata dei ans (sixteenth century added to f. iv). No music or illustration.

Internal cross references: 0.1458

First lines:
IN a somer seson as y south wente
I schoop me in a schrowde as y a scheep were…
Last lines:
…Scihoþ theologie þat trewe is tellen it deffendeþ
Dauyd godis derlyng deffendeþ it also
Vidi preuaricantes & thabescebam

7. CamPem312C6,

Single bifolium, ‘A’ Text, IV.106-45; IV.148-V.29; VII.84-93, VI.212-41; VII.242-282 (all with omissions from edited texts).. No music or illustration.

First lines:
…And haten harlotrie for euere
Til prestis hem selfe yne[ ] preching…
Last lines:
…þanne þis folk forfere fet hem manye
Grene porettes and pesin him to poisone…

8. CamTCC594, ff. 2–74v

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI; ‘C’ Text, XII.297-XXIII.. No music or illustration.

First lines:
IN a somer sesoun whane softe was the sonne
I shop me in to a shroud as I a shep were…
Last lines:
…And send me hap & hele til I haue piers plouȝman
And siþþe he gradde aftir grace til I gan awake

9. BLHar875, ff. 1–22v

‘A’ Text, Prologue to VIII.144. A leaf missing between leaves 16 and 17 (at beginning of a quire).. No music or illustration.

First lines:
IN a somer seson when soft was þe sonne
I schope me vndur a schrowde as I a schepe were…
Last lines:
…As danyel deuysed in dede hit by fel after
þe king lost his lond & lasse lordis hadden it

10. BLHar6041, ff. 1–96

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI, ‘C’ Text, XII.297-XXIII.. Attributed title: Peorse plowmanne (f. 1, added in upper margin by a later hand). No music or illustration.

First lines:
IN a somer seson whan softe was the sonne
I schop me in to schrowdes as I a scheep were…
Last lines:
…And sende me hap & hele til I haue piers þe plouȝman
And siþþe he gradde aftir grace til I gan awake

11. NLW733B, pp. 1–176

‘A’ Text, I.76 to VIII.184; ‘C’ Text, XI-XXII.. No music or illustration.

12. LiverpoolULF48, pp. 1–202

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI;; ‘C’ Text, XIII-XXIII.. No music or illustration.

13. LincInnH150, ff. 109–125v

‘A’ Text, Prologue to VIII.155; partly illegible due to damp. Guide letter for unexecuted initial ‘I’.. No music or illustration.

First lines:
[I]n a somer seson when softe was þe sonne
y schaped me into schroudes as y aschep where…
Last lines:
…[ ] & bisschopis Pettres
[ ]ignel [ ] in foilde

14. SocAnt687, pp. 470–549

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI.. Attributed title: Explicit prologus de dowel dobet & dobest (p. 549, rubric). No music or illustration.

First lines:
In a somer sesoun whan softe was þe sunne
I schop me in a schroude a schep as y were…
Last lines:
…And þat hem graunte vs þe Ioie þat euere schal lastyn
With pers þe plowman to wenyn in his blysse Amen Amen

Bibliographical references:

  • Editions: Knott1952;

15. PriO6, ff. 1–76

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XI; ‘C’ Text, XIII-XXIII.. No music or illustration.

16. PierpontM818, ff. 16–54v

‘A’ Text, Prologue to XII.88.. No music or illustration.

First lines:
In a summer sesyn whane softe was þe sunne
I schope me in to þe schropbys a schepe as I were…
Last lines:
…ffro deth þat is oure duke swyche dedys we bryng
Myht I se quod he god wote ȝoure gatys wold I holdyn

17. TCD213, ff. 1–26v

Formerly DIMEV 1458; ends imperfectly at VII. 45.. No music or illustration.

Internal cross references: 0.1458

First lines:
[I]n a somer sesoun as I South went
I Shoope me in a Shrowde as I a Sherpe were
In habette as an herment my holy werkeȝ…
Last lines:
…In a full perlus plac þat purgatory hatt
Misbid noght þi bounde þe better may þu spede

18. TCD213, ff. ii–1a

Formerly DIMEV 1458; fragment; sixteenth-century copy of last nine lines on f. 1, and last 3 of f. 2.. No music or illustration.

Internal cross references: 0.1458

First lines:
Wyrking & wandring as þe worlde askes
some put them to þe ploght & pleyde for the sede…
Last lines:
…but for the pardoner & perish prest depart your syluer
Þat the poor men shuld departe if þay ne were

19. TCD213, f. 67v

Formerly DIMEV 1458; fragment; sixteenth-century copy (upside-down) duplicating text on f. iir and 1a which duplicates last 9 lines of text on f. 1, and last lines on f. 2.. No music or illustration.

Internal cross references: 0.1458

First lines:
[ ]…wanderyng as þe world askys
[ ]m to þe ploght & pleyde for þe sede…
Last lines:
…[ ] befor the pyschop þat ye boye prechys
[ ] & parische preste departe þair silver