Henry saw his own blunder as soon as it was made, and endeavoured to neutralize its effects by despatching an embassy to the Pope, requesting that he would send a legatine commission to settle the controversy. One of his envoys was the excommunicate John of Oxford; to the horror of Thomas and the indignation of Louis, John came back in triumph, boasting not only that he had been absolved by the Pope, but that two cardinals, William and Otto--the former of whom was a determined opponent of Thomas--were coming with full powers to sit in judgement on the case between primate and king and decide it without appeal.[284] The first half of the boast was true, but not the second; the cautious Pope instructed his envoys to do nothing more than arbitrate between the contending parties, if they could.[285] They did not reach Normandy till the autumn of 1167; Thomas came to meet them on the French border on November 18; he refused to enter upon any negotiations till the property of the metropolitan see was restored;[286] the legates carried their report to the king at Argentan, and were dismissed with an exclamation of disappointment and disgust--“I wish I may never set eyes upon a cardinal again!”[287] Five of the English bishops whom Henry had summoned to advise him renewed their appeal,[288] its original term having expired six months ago; and the legates insisting that Thomas should respect the appeal,[289] another year’s delay was gained. [284] Epp. cclxxx., cclxxxiii., cclxxxv., ccxcii. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. vi.), pp. 140, 146, 147, 151–153, 170, 171. [285] Ep. cccvii. (_ibid._), p. 201. Cf. Will. Cant. (_ib._ vol. i.), p. 65, and Gerv. Cant. (Stubbs), vol. i. pp. 202, 203. [286] Epp. cccxxxi., cccxxxii. (Robertson, _Becket_, vol. vi.), pp. 247–251, 256–258. [287] Ep. cccxxxix. (_ibid._), pp. 269, 270. [288] Epp. cccxxxix., cccxli.–cccxlv. (_ibid._), pp. 270–272, 276, 277, 283–288. [289] Ep. cccxliii. (_ibid._), pp. 284, 285.