After threatening and beseeching him by turns all through the winter, Henry so far lost patience that he gave permission to John--now fifteen years old--to lead an army into his brother’s territories and win an heritage for himself if he could.[1107] It does not appear, however, that any such attempt was actually made till after Henry himself had gone back to England in June 1184.[1108] As soon as his back was turned, his two younger sons joined to harry the lands of the eldest; Richard retaliated by pushing across the Angevin border and making a raid upon Britanny; and in November Henry found it necessary to check the lawless doings of all three by summoning them to rejoin him in England.[1109] On S. Andrew’s day a sort of public reconciliation of the whole family took place in a great council at Westminster; Eleanor was suffered to resume her place as queen, and the three sons were compelled formally at least to make peace among themselves.[1110] Geoffrey was at once sent back to Normandy;[1111] Richard and John stayed to keep the Christmas feast with their father and mother amid a brilliant gathering of the court at Windsor.[1112] Soon afterwards Richard also returned to his troublesome duchy;[1113] for Henry had now abandoned all idea of transferring it to John. Falling back upon his earlier plans for his youngest child, on Mid-Lent Sunday 1185 he knighted John at Windsor, and thence despatched him as governor to Ireland.[1114] [1107] _Ib._ p. 311. [1108] _Ib._ p. 312. R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. ii. p. 21. [1109] _Gesta Hen._ (Stubbs), vol. i. p. 319. [1110] _Ib._ pp. 319, 320. Rog. Howden (Stubbs), vol. ii. p. 288. Eleanor had been released in June in order that she might welcome her daughter, the duchess of Saxony; _Gesta Hen._ as above, p. 313. [1111] _Gesta Hen._ as above, p. 320. [1112] _Ib._ p. 333. [1113] _Ib._ p. 334. [1114] _Ib._ p. 336. R. Diceto (Stubbs), vol. ii. p. 34. John sailed from Milford on April 24 and landed next day at Waterford. Gir. Cambr. _Expugn. Hibern._, l. ii. c. 32 (Dimock, vol. v. p. 380).