Minor Queries.

"Imprest" and "Debenture."—When a person fulfilling any employment under any of the Government Boards has occasion to draw "money on account," an "imprest," addressed to the pay-master under that Board, is issued for the required sum; but when the final payment is made upon the "closing of the account," the "debenture" takes the place of the "imprest." Out of what verbal raw material are these words manufactured? I know of no other use of the word "imprest" as a substantive; and though we see "debenture" often enough in railway reports, I cannot perceive the analogy between its meanings in the two cases.

D. V. S.

Home, May 17.

Cosin's MSS.—Basire, in his Brief of the Life, &c. of Bishop Cosin, appended to his Funeral Sermon (Lond. 1673, p. 69.), after noticing several MS. works of Cosin's, some of which have not yet seen the light, adds, "These remains are earnestly recommended to his pious executor's care for publication."

Can any of your correspondents kindly inform me, who are the lineal representatives of Cosin's pious executor? Basire mentions three "imperfect" works of Bishop Cosin's in manuscript: viz. Annales Eccles., Historia Conciliorum, Chronologia Sacra. Is it known what has become of them? They appear to have fallen, with other MSS., into the hands of his executor.

J. Sansom.

Barclay's Argenis.—What are the latest editions of this romance—the best, in Cowper's opinion, ever written, which Coleridge laments as being so little known, and which has been translated, I believe, into all the European languages? What are the principal as well as the latest English translations?

Jartzberg.

Clergy sold for Slaves.—Walker, in his Sufferings of the Clergy, says, "There was a project on foot to sell some of the most eminent" (of the masters of colleges, doctors in divinity, &c.) "to the Turks for slaves; and a considerable progress was made in that horrid purpose." And, writing of Dr. Ed. Layfield, under the head of "London Cathedrals," Walker again says, that "at last, in the company of others, he was clapt on shipboard under hatches;" and that "they were threatened to be sold slaves to the Algerines, or to some of our own plantations." Again, it is recorded in Bishop Cosin's life, that by his will "he gave towards the redemption of Christian captives at Algiers, 500l.; towards the relief of the distressed loyal party in England, 800l.:"—upon which I should be glad to put a Query; viz., Is there sufficient ground for supposing, that any of the loyal party were really sold for slaves during the rebellion? If otherwise, will Cosin's bequest throw any light upon R. W. B.'s Query, vol. i., p. 441.?

J. Sansom.

Meaning of Pallet.—About a mile from Hume Castle, on the Scotch border, is a rock hill, which is called Hume Pallet.

The only other name of the kind in this district is Kilpallet, in the heart of the Lammermuir hills, on the borders of Berwickshire and East Lothian. There was at this latter place once a religious house of some kind, and a burying ground, now hardly visible.

What is the meaning of the word Pallet?

J. S. Q.

Tobacco in the East.—Can any of your readers inform me whether tobacco is indigenous to any part of Asia? Also, whether the habit of smoking (opium or tobacco), now universal over the East, dates there from before the discovery of America? And if not, from what period?

Z. A. Z.

Stephanus Brulifer.—Can any of your correspondents kindly refer me to a library containing a copy of Stephanus Brulifer, in lib. iv. Sentent. Seraphici Doctoris Bonaventuræ, 8vo. Basil. 1507?

J. Sansom.