In a somer seson In a somè seyson,
Whan softe was the sonne, Whan softe was the sonne,
I shop me into shroudes Y shop into shrobbis
As I a sheep weere, As y shepherde were.
In habite as an heremite In abit az an ermite
Unholy of werkes, Unholy of werkes,
Wente wide in this world That wente forthe in the worle
Wonders to here, Wondres to hure,
Ac on a May morwenynge And sawe meny cellis
On Malverne hilles And selcouthe thynges.
Me bifel a ferly, Ac on a May morwenyng
Of fairye me thoghte. On Malverne hulles
I was wery for-wandred, Me by-fel for to slepe,
And wente me to reste For weyrynesse of wandryng,
Under a broode bank And in a lande as ich lay
By a bournes syde, Lenede ich and slepte,
And as I lay and lenede, And merveylously me mette,
And loked on the watres, As ich may yow telle.
I slombred into a slepyng, Al the welthe of this worlde,
It sweyed so murye. And the woo bothe,
Thanne gan I meten Wynkyng as it were
A merveillous swevene, Wyterly ich saw hyt,
That I was in a wildernesse Of truyth and of tricherye,
Wiste I nevere where; Of tresoun and of gyle,
And as I biheld in to the eest Al ich saw slepyng,
An heigh to the sonne, As ich shal yow telle.
I seigh a tour on a toft, etc. Esteward ich behulde
After the sonne,
And sawe a tour as ich trowede, etc.
Besides such variations as appear in the foregoing specimen, there are in
the second text many considerable additions, omissions, and transpositions.
It would not be easy to account for the existence of two texts differing so
much; but it is my impression that the first was the one published by the
author, and that the variations were made by some other person, who was
perhaps induced by his own political sentiments to modify passages, and was
gradually led on to publish a revision of the whole. It is certain that in
some parts of Text II. the strong sentiments or expressions of the first
text are softened down. We may give as an example of this, the statement of
the popular opinion of the origin and purpose of kingly government:--