ensium (Basle, 1543, 8vo; Leipsic, 1591, 8vo, with the notes of John Frederick Hekelius) : — Alcorani seu legis Mahometi et evangelistarum concordice libi r ( Paris, 15-13, 8vo) : — Sacrarum apodexeon, seu Euclid-is Christiani libri ii (ibid. 1543): — IV librorum de orbis terra Con- cordia primus (ibid. 8vo) : — De rationibus Spiritus Sancti (ibid. 1543, 8vo) ; ill this work Postel endeavors to prove that there is nothing in religion that is not in accordance with nature and reason: — De orbis terra concordice libri io (Basle, 1544, 8vo) ; it is the best of Postel's works, and expounds with much talent his fa- vorite ideas about the conversion of all the nations of the world : — De nativitate Mediator-is ultima, nunc fu- tura et toti orbi terrarum in singulis rations praditis manifestanda opus (ibid, 1517, 8vo) : — Absconditorum a constitutione mundi clavis, qua mens huniana tarn in dici- nis quam in humanis pertinget ad interiora velamina ater- na veritatis (ibid. 16mo ; and with appendix, Amst. 1G46, lCmo) : — Candclabri typici in Mosis tabernaculo jussu divino expressi interpretatio (Venice, 1548 — Hebrew, Latin, and French) : — De Etrurim regionis, qua prima in orbe Europao habitat a est, originibus, institutis, reli- gione, et moribus (Florence, 1551, 4to) : — Les Raisons de la Monarchic, et quels Moyens sont necessaire pour y parvenir (Paris, 1551, 8vo) : — Abrahami pat riarcha liber Jesirah, sive formationis mundi, patribus quidem Abrahami tempora prmcedentibus revelatur, etc. (ibid. 1552, lGmo) : — De causis seu de principiis et originibus natures utriusqv.e (ibid. 1552, lGmo) :— Erersio falsorum Aristotelis dogmatum (ibid. 1552. lGmo) : — UHistoire memorable des Expeditions depuis le Deluge, faites par les Gauloys ou Francoys depuis la France jusques en Asie, ou en Thrace, et en Vorientale Partic de V Europe (ibid. 1552, 16mo) :— De Phcenicum litteris, seu de prisco Laiina et Graca lingua churactere (ibid. 1552, 8vo) : — Tabula in astronomiam, in arithmeticam tkeoricam et in musicam tkeoricam (ibid. 1552): — La Loi Salique, livret de la premiere humaine Verite, (ibid. 1552, llimu; Lyons, 1559, lGmo) : — Proto-EvangeUum Jacobi,fralris et potissimum orbi Latino ad hanc diem incognita aut inconsiderata historia (ibid. 1553, 8vo) : — Descriptio Domini (Basle, 1552, 8vo) :— De Originibus, seu de varia des Gaules (Paris, 1553, fol.) -.—Signorum ccelestium vera configurafio et, significationum expositio (ibid. 1553, 8vo) : — La Doctrine du Steele dore, ou de Vevangelique Regne de Jesus, Roy des Roys (ibid. 1551, lGmo; re- printed with the following): — Les tr'es-marveilleuses Victoires des Femmes du Nouveau-Monde ; et comme elles doivent a tout le Monde par Raison commander, et meme a ceux qui auront la Monarchic du Monde Yieil (ibid. 1553, lGmo). This book has become very rare and precious. Postel declares that he speaks in the name and by the inspiration of a certain mere Jeanne, whom he had known in Italy, and whose substance has been absorbed by his own : — Des Merveilles des hides et du Nouveau-Monde oil est demontre le Lieu du Paiadis terrestre (ibid. 1553, lGmo) :— Description de la Terre- Sainte (ibid. 1553, lGmo) : — Le prime nove dell' altro mondo, eioi Vammirabile storia intitolata : La Vergine I '< m tiana (1555, 12mo) :— De la Republique des Turcs et des Mmurs et Logs de tons les Mahnmedistes (Poitiers, 15G0, 4to): — Cosmographia disciplina Compendium, cum synopsi rerum toto orbe gestarum (Basle, 1561, 4to) :— La Concordance des quatre Evangiles ( Paris, 15G2, 16mo) : — Les premiers Elements dEuclide Chretien en Vers (ibid. 15G2, 8vo) : — De universitaie seu cosmngra- phia (ibid. 1563, 4to ; reprinted several times): — De raris historiis et de admirandis rebus qua a qninqua- ginta annis contegerunt (1553-83 ; Paris, 15G3, 4to). Pos- tel is one of the authors to whom the celebrated work De tribus impostoribus has been attributed. — Hoefer, Nouv. Biog. Generate, s. v. See Ittig, De Postello (Leips. 1704) ; Desbillons, Sur la Vie de Postel (Liege, 1773); Sainte-Marthe, Eloges ; Theyet, Hist, des Hommes illustres ; Desbillons, Nouveaux Eclaircissements sur la Vie de Postel; Collomieo, Gallia Orientulis ; De Thou, Eloges des Savants ; Sallengre, Memoires de la Lit-
POSTIL
446
POSTULATIOX
terature, vol. i and ii; Manner, Hist, di Saint-Martin des Champs; Niceron, Memoir es, voL \ iii : Chaufepi£, Remarque* sur Postel; Goujet, Mem. hist, sui Royal Lelong also nam* 9 a Vie d\ Postel by the abbe"
Joly, ca at Dijon. See also Unmet. Manuel du Li-
braire, iii. 822; Frere, Manuel du Bibliographi Nor- mand; Hallam, Tntrod. to th Literaiun of Europe (Harper's ed.), i, 240, 406.
Postil (Latin postilld) originally designated in the ecclesiastical language of medievalism explanatory re- marks accompanying the text of the Bible, mostly in the form of sermons or homilies. The name sprung from the fact that these were usually delivered imme- diately alter the reading ol the Gospel, and were explan- atory of it. It- etymology is to be found in the words "post ilia verba textus" or "sacrae scripturse," the firsl two words being combined in one, which is used as noun and verb (postiUa, postillare). Charlemagne or- dered a homiliarium to be composed for the clergy of bis empire, in which the pericopes or texts of the Sun- days and holydays are followed by a homily from one of the celebrated ancient preachers. This collection was long in use in the German empire, and was often called But the meaning of the word became more comprehensive in the latter part of the Middle Ages, when a running commentary of Scripture was called Postilla, because the texl was firsl exhibited, and post ilia (after the words of the text) the comments of the writer. Thus we find " Postillavit evangelia, epistolas Pauli," etc. The most remarkable of these postillse is that of the celebrated exegete Nicolas de Lyra (q. v.), under the title " PoStilhfi perpclua' in Biblia," or ■■ Pos- tilla in universa Biblia." Luther, by his well-known "Postilla," introduced the word among the Protestant communions. It is still, but less frequently, employed. and only in the Church of Rome or of England, for col- lections of sermons connected with the pericopes of Sun- daj - an«l holydays. See Siegel, I 'hristliche Alterthiimer (see Index in vol. iv) ; Wheatly, On the Book of Com- mon Prayi r, p. •J7"_'.