AS already stated in the last chapter, during the whole of the time the negotiations for the hand of the Duchess of Milan were in progress, others were being carried on concurrently for a French bride for Henry. The King’s personal inclination, indeed, leant much more strongly towards an alliance with France than one with the Emperor; and on October 24th, the very day of Queen Jane Seymour’s death, Cromwell wrote to Stephen Gardiner and Lord William Howard, then at the French court, informing them of Henry’s loss, and urging them to make secret inquiries as to a possible successor among the princesses of France. “Our Prince,” he said, “our Lord be thanked, is in good health, and suckethe like a child of his puissance, which youe, my Lord William, canne declare. Our Mastres, thoroughe the faulte of them that were about Her, whiche suffred Her to take greate cold, and to eate things that her fantazie in syknes called for, is departed to God.”[288] Footnote 288: _St. P._, vol. viii. (pt. v. _continued_) 478. He went on to say that the Council were unanimously of opinion that the King should marry again as soon as possible: [Sidenote: THE DUCHESS OF LONGUEVILLE] “Soo considering what personages in Christendom be mete for Him, amonges the rest there be two in Fraunce, that may be thought on, thone is the Frenche Kinges doughter (Margaret, afterwards Duchess of Savoy), whiche, as it is said, is not the metest, the other is Madame de Longevile, whom they say the King of Scottes dothe desire. Of whose conditions and qualities in every pointe His Majeste desireth you both, with all your dexterite and good meanes, to enquire; and likewise in what pointe and termes the said King of Scottes standeth towards either of them; whiche His Highnes is soo desirous to knowe, His Graces desire therin to be nevertheles in any wise kept secret to your selfes.” The details of the careful search which was made throughout France for a suitable successor to Jane Seymour are to be found in the very entertaining letters written by Louis de Perreau, Sieur de Castillon, the French ambassador in London, to Francis I and his Grand Master, Anne de Montmorency. The negotiations necessitated the despatch of numerous envoys and messengers, and the painting of four or five portraits; and there is very good evidence for the belief that two or three of these were painted by Holbein, for which purpose he made at least two journeys—to Le Havre in June 1538, and to Joinville and Nancy at the end of the following August.