Andrew III and the barons of the realm. One of the (23rd) articles of the 1298 diet established a four-member lesser council within the royal council, consisting of two nobles (representatives of the "nobility with uniform status") and two prelates (suffragans each belonging to the archdioceses of Esztergom and Kalocsa) with a three-month term. One of the noble councilors was Thomas Hont-Pázmány, Archbishop John's brother, despite his magnate of origin, which reflects the influence of their clan over the royal court. Their veto power prevented Bicskei from sabotaging the operation of the royal council, which resulted his total isolation in the state government, despite his nominal leading position in the royal council. John and the prelates had a virtually exclusive right to elect the four council members; both Thomas Hont-Pázmány and Henry Balog were considered supporters of the Hungarian clergy. Thomas and Henry were first identified as royal councillors () in February 1299, when Dominic Rátót exchanged his estates with Julius Sártványvecse in their presence. Throughout in 1299 and 1300, Thomas acted as co-judge beside the monarch in various lawsuits. According to historian József Gerics, the 1298 national diet, which made the laws against the supremacy of barons (i.e. oligarchs), declared the baron Thomas as "nobilis" (i.e. lesser noble) in order to become a member of the small council. During his acts as councillor, he was referred to as "noble", while other documents (for instance, royal charters) still styled him as "baron" ("baronus"). Consequently, the gain of power by the lesser nobility remained only nominal; establishment of the four-member small council with veto power and Thomas' appointment to this body served only the purpose of artificially changing the balance of power in the royal council in favor of the clergy led by John Hont-Pázmány. With his veto power, Thomas was able to thwart the decisions of the other barons and even the king. By April 1299, in addition to his role in the royal council, Thomas also became a "baron" of Andrew's spouse, Queen Agnes of Austria, in accordance with the 24th article of the 1298 diet, which authorized Andrew III to appoint barons for the administration of the queenly court. It is presumable that Thomas was present at the 1298 national diet (despite the "exclusion" of the barons), and both positions were tailored for exclusively his person by his brother John and his suffragans. The king' confidence in the