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They are to announce to Francis that though the Prince is well and "sucketh like a child of his puissance," the Queen, by the neglect of those about her who suffered her to take cold and eat such things as her fantasy in sickness called for, is dead. The King, though he takes this chance reasonably, is little disposed to marry again, but some of his Council have thought it meet for us to urge him to it for the sake of his realm, and he has "framed his mind, both to be indifferent to the thing and to the election of any person from any part that with deliberation shall be thought meet." Two persons in France might be thought on, viz., the French king's daughter (said to be not the meetest) and Madame de Longueville, of whose qualities you are to inquire, and also on what terms the King of Scots stands with either of them. Lord William must not return without ascertaining this, but the inquiry must be kept secret.
Winchester's letters, by his servant Massye, to the King and [Cromwell] arrived last night. His Grace thanks him for his vigilance in investigating the news, especially the terms on which the Emperor and the French king stand as to the peace, and also for his gift of Asher, "albeit the same be given with Nichil agis dolor," for the assurance of which he will shortly send a deed for the bp. to sign. Gardiner, however, wrongs both the writer and others in that matter imputing forgetfulness to them. "I am sorry, my lord, to see you so contentious and to have so little care of your friends. Of what sort I have been towards you I do refer myself to the King's Majesty and to sundry others of his Council that hath known the proceedings here. And yet, to be plain with you, when I wrote that the King's Majesty took pleasure in your house and would make a chace about it which should make it no house for your store, methought it required at least such an answer as might have declared that you had been glad of it; in which case you should not have needed to have called to remembrance the lesson of Possidon (fn. n3), Nichil agis dolor, for that hath place where there is a grief." Answers a complaint of Gardiner's touching Cromwell's non-fulfilment of promises about a horse and other matters. The King wishes Gardiner to treat the abbot of Arbroath in friendly wise, his master being the King's nephew. As for the instructions he desires, the King cannot determine till he knows the covenants; which he must endeavour to discover, meanwhile sticking on the point of his promise to join his Majesty with him as a principal ontrahent. Will with speed cause money to be delivered to his servant Peter Larke. The rest of his suits the King will answer in his next letters. In Wriothesley's hand. 
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