When the man wants to prepare
He looks and sees coming
Milo, thinks that he wants
To ask for and get the fare.
“Sire,” says Milo, “that’s not so:
I haven’t come to ask for the fare,
But to tell you of a commandment
On behalf of the sad and dolorous count; *
I can’t tell you without tears:
There are assembled to kill you
A great assembly of adversaries
Across the sea armed against you.”
When he’d heard the message
To all his faithful companions he answered:
“I’m close to England;
I’m a coward if I pass it up for this.
It’s right that Canterbury
Desire her pastor now:
For seven years I’ve been gone,
Who am the archbishop of the place.”
Then he looks at the shore:
And sees that a ship arrives.
He asks a man, when he’s come,
If news is known
About the archbishop in England.
And that one says, not wanting to be silent
That he said expressly
That he’d come anew
For which there was great joy and contentment
But one of them draws them aside
Who says, “Go back, you poor people!
Do you think you’ll live long?
A great company of knights
Waits for you there without a doubt
Who are ready and agreed
To kill you when you come.
The whole land is worked up
At the place you’ll come first.
The accusation puts all on you;
The archbishop and his men all accuse
For the archbishop Roger
Whom [you] undertook to anger
And the bishops that you
Suspended and excommunicated.
With the bishops who are there,
Who are all opposed against you,
Is Reynaud de Warenne,
And the viscount Gervase,
And Randolph de Broc whom once
The archbishop excommunicated:
With a great armed company
All assembled together
Wait on the sea
They don’t cease to watch day or night.
You’ll be no sooner arrived
Than you’ll be taken and arrested.”
When all the company
Hears this, they are much astounded:

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