aditu difficilis circa montem; cujus latera omnia horti 50 acrarum circumeunt, nisi versus Aquilonem, quo ascenditur ad ostium aedium ubi etiam antiqua jauna arcuato lapide. Versus Occidentem 8 fenestrae et 3 in sacello; et ulterior pars vetusta. Versus Aquilonem 10 fenestrae. Facies Australis et Turris de _Staunton_, in qui archiva familiae reponuntur, extructa ante annos circa 400. Pars restat kernellata," &c. &c. &c. The description goes on for a few more lines; but it matters not to continue them. I should be much obliged by any of your readers giving an account of who this "ingenious writer" was, and on what authority he founded the foregoing observations, as it is a subject of much interest to me and others at the present time. ALYTHES. Jan. 28. 1850. * * * * * MINOR QUERIES. _MSS. formerly belonging to Dr. Hugh Todd_.--I shall feel most grateful to any of your correspondents who can afford me any information, however imperfect, respecting the MSS. of Dr. Hugh Todd, Vicar of Penrith, and Prebendary of Carlisle, in the beginning of the last century. In the _Cat. MSS. Angliae_, &c., 1697, is a catalogue of nineteen MSS, then in his possession, five of which are especially the subject of the present inquiry. One is a Chartulary of the Abbey of Fountains, in 4to; another is an Act Book of the Consistory Court of York, in the fifteenth century, in folio; the third is the Chapter Book of the Collegiate Church of Ripon, from 1452 to 1506; the fourth contains Extracts and Manuscripts from Records relating to the Church of Ripon; and the last is apparently a Book of the Acts of the Benefactors to that foundation. In a letter to Humphrey Lawley, dated in 1713, Dr. Todd says he was engaged in a work relating to the province of York, and the greater part of the MSS. in the catalogue above mentioned appear to have been collected as the materials. JOHN RICHARD WALBRAN. Falcroft, Ripon, Jan 31. 1850. _French Leave_--In No. 5. I perceive several answers to the query respecting _Flemish Account_, which I presume to be the same as _Dutch Account_. Can you inform me how the very common expression _French Leave_ originated? W.G.B. _Portugal_.--Can any of your geographical readers inform me if a Gazetteer of Portugal has been published within these twenty years? If there has been one, in what language, and where published? Information of the title of any good modern works on Portugal, giving an account of the minor places, would be acceptable. NORTHMAN. _Tureen_--How and whence is the term "tureen" derived?--and when was it introduced? "At the top there was tripe in a swinging tureen." Goldsmith's _Haunch of Venison_. G.W. _Military Execution_.--I am very anxious to be referred to the authority for the following anecdote, and remark made on it:--