The king’s wrath presently cooled so far that he invited the primate to a conference at Northampton. They met on horseback in a field near the town; high words passed between them; the king again demanded, and the archbishop again refused, unconditional acceptance of the customs; and in this determination they parted.[106] A private negotiation with some of the other prelates--suggested, it was said, by the diplomatist-bishop of Lisieux--was more successful; Roger of York and Robert of Lincoln met the king at Gloucester and agreed to accept his customs with no other qualification than a promise on his part to exact nothing contrary to the rights of their order. Hilary of Chichester not only did the same but undertook to persuade the primate himself. In this of course he failed.[107] Some time before Christmas, however, there came to the archbishop three commissioners who professed to be sent by the Pope to bid him withdraw his opposition; Henry having, according to their story, assured the Pope that he had no designs against the clergy or the Church, and required nothing beyond a verbal assent for the saving of his regal dignity.[108] On the faith of their word Thomas met the king at Oxford,[109] and there promised to accept the customs and obey the king “loyally and in good faith.” Henry then demanded that as the archbishop had withstood him publicly, so his submission should be repeated publicly too, in an assembly of barons and clergy to be convened for that purpose.[110] This was more than Thomas had been led to expect; but he made no objection, and the Christmas season passed over in peace. Henry kept the feast at Berkhampstead,[111] one of the castles lately taken from the archbishop; Thomas at Canterbury, where he had just been consecrating the great English scholar Robert of Melun--one of the three Papal commissioners--to succeed Gilbert Foliot as bishop of Hereford.[112] [106] Anon. I. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. iv.), pp. 27–29. [107] Garnier (Hippeau), pp. 33, 34. Will. Cant. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. i.), pp. 14, 15. E. Grim (_ib._ vol. ii.), pp. 377, 378. Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), pp. 30–31. Cf. Herb. Bosh. (_ib._ vol. iii.), p. 276, and _Thomas Saga_ (Magnusson), vol. i. p. 159. [108] Garnier (Hippeau), pp. 34, 35. Will. Cant. (as above), p. 15. E. Grim (_ib._ vol. ii.), p. 378. Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), p. 31. _Thomas Saga_ (as above), p. 161. All, except the Anon., seem to doubt the genuineness of the mission. [109] Herb. Bosh. (as above), p. 277. The Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), p. 32, and Garnier (Hippeau), p. 35, say Woodstock. [110] Garnier, Will. Cant., Herb. Bosh. and _Thomas Saga_, as above. E. Grim (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. ii.), p. 379. Anon. I. (_ib._ vol. iv.), pp. 33, 34. [111] Eyton, _Itin. Hen. II._, p. 66, from Pipe Roll a. 1164.