After despatching these letters from Hatfield, Norfolk must have gone to Doncaster to meet the Pilgrims’ representatives. Sir Thomas Hilton and his companions had received full instructions from the Pilgrims’ council. They were (1) “to declare to the Duke of Norfolk and other lords that our meeting of our part is meant of assured truth without any manner of deceit or ‘male ingyne’: (2) to receive the King’s safe-conduct, and to deliver our safe-conduct for the assurance of the lords there: (3) to entreat of our general pardon, including all persons who in heart, word or deed aided the federation in this our quarrel, and that we be not mentioned in the pardon, nor in any records as rebels and traitors: (4) that Richard Cromwell nor none of his kind nor sort be at our meeting at Doncaster: (5) to receive the King’s answer by the declaration of the lords, and to certify the very intent thereof to us here: (6) to know what authority the lords have to promise: (7) to demand what pledge they would deliver for the captain: (8) if the particulars are required, then to descend to divers particulars.”[50] To all this Norfolk had no very truthful reply, particularly if it is correct to suppose that he did not receive the King’s final instructions until Wednesday. He could not honestly answer to (1) that he came to the meeting “without any manner of deceit or ‘male ingyne,’” seeing that he knew his object was to gain time until the King’s troops were ready to make an attack. On that very day Suffolk was writing to ask for guns, gunners, arrows, etc., saying that he was making musters and every day expected the King’s two ships[51]. With regard to (2) Norfolk’s orders were if possible to withhold the King’s safe-conduct and to persuade the Pilgrims to come to the meeting on no security but his own word. He was not authorised to promise a general pardon, as the King in his last letters[52] had insisted that some of the rebels must be reserved for punishment[53]. He could indeed satisfy them with regard to (4) as Richard Cromwell had already withdrawn. But as to (5) he had particular instructions not to reveal the King’s reply until the rebels had submitted; and though he was to assure them that it was quite satisfactory he must have known that this was far from being the case. As to (6) he had no authority to promise anything but the limited pardon, while he had been particularly forbidden to give a pledge for Aske. Though he was permitted to go into particulars, it was only that he might persuade the Pilgrims not to trouble the King with them, the one point on which his orders were most emphatic being that he should take every means to detach the gentlemen from the commons[54].