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( 8*o)
POS
Herodotus afcrlbes the Origin of Tofts to Cyras op Xerxes 5 but the Top inftituted by thofe Princes were no more than Couriers. See Courier.
In effect, Tofts on the prefent footing are but a modern Invention ; tho' fome go back as high as Charlemaign.
'Tis certain it was the Policy, or rather the Diffidence of Louis XI. of France, that they owed their Rife to J that uneafy Prince firft fettling them by an Ordonnance of the 19th of June, 14^4. to be the fooner, and the more furely advertis'd of what pafs'd in his own Kingdom, and in the neighbouring States.
From France, the Inftitution propagated itfelf, by de- grees, thro' the feveral other Parts of Europe: In Ger- many, Hornigk obferves, Pop were firft fettled by the Count de Taxis at his own Expence ; in acknowledgment whereof, the Emperor Matthias in 1616, gave him, in Fief, the Charge of "Po/MMafler under him and his Succeffors.
In England, Fop were firft eftablifh'd by Aft of Par- liament 12 Car. 2. which enabled the King to fettle a Poft- Office, and appoint a Governour.
The Englifi Poft-O&cc is now manag'd by twoCommif- fioners, who have under them about forty other Officers, of their own appointing, who are all fworn, and give Secu- rity for their faithful Difcharge, &C. as the Receiver, Comp- troller, Accomptant, fix Clerks of the feveral Roads, a Window-Man, and fixteen Sorters, for the Inland Office. For the Foreign Office, are a Comptroller and Alphabet- keeper, fix Clerks, and a Foreign Officer. Befides Sollici- tor and Clerks, and fixty-feven Letter-Carriers.
From this Office, Letters and Packets are difpatch'd eve- ry Monday, to France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Kent, and the Downs; every Tuefday to all Parts of Eng- land,Scotland,ini Ireland; alfo to Holland, Germany, Swe- den, iSc. every Wednesday to Kent only, and the Downs ; every Thurfday to all Parts of England and Scotland; as alfo to France, Spain, and Italy ; every Friday to Flanders and Holland, Germany, Sweden, Kent, and the Downs ; and every Saturday to all Parts of England, Scotland, and Ireland.
Again, Letters are return'd to London from all Parts of England and Scotland, Wales only excepted, every Mon- day, Wednesday, and Friday : From Wales every Monday and Friday ; and from Kent and the Downs, every Day.
On this grand Office depend 182 Toft-tAs&txs in Eng- land and Scotland, who keep regular Offices in their Stages, and Sub-Poft-Mafters in their Branches.
Tho' the Number of Letters in England was antiently ■very inconfiderable j yet is it now fo increafed, that this Office, before the Addition of the Penny Pop, was farm'd at 50000 /. per Ann.
The Charge of a Letter of a Sheet of Paper 80 Miles, is 3 d. of two Sheets, 6 d. for above 80 Miles, a Sheet 4 d. two, id. An Ounce of Letters for 80 Miles, is. for a- bove, 1 s. 6 d.
Note, The Toft travels at the rate of no Miles in 14 Hours.' For thofe who chufe to travel with the Poft, Hor- fes are ready, at the Rate of 3 d. per Mile, and i\d. to the Boy every Stage.
The Great Mogul performs part of his Poftage by Pi- geons, kept in feveral places, for the Conveyance of Let- ters on extraordinary Occafions. They will carry them from one end of that vail Empire to another. The fame Vehicles have been ufed by the Dutch in Sieges. And at this day, Tavernier obferves, the Conful of Alexandretta fends News daily to Aleppo, in five Hours rime, by means of Pigeons; tho' thofe two Places are three Days Journey on horfeback a-part.
yeajy-PosT, a Toft eftablifh'd for the Benefit of Lon- don, and the Parts adjacent ; whereby, any Letter or Parcel, not exceeding one Pound Weight, or ten Pound Value, is fpeedily and fafely convey'd to and from all Parts within the Bills of Mortality, to moft Towns and Villages within ten Miles of London.
This Office is managed by a Comptroller, under whom are an Accomptant, Collector, fix Sorters, feven Sub- Sorters, and above an hundred Meffengers.
Posts, in Sculpture, &c. Ornaments form*d after the manner of Rolls, or Wreathings ; thus call'd, becaufe they feem to run after one another.
Some are fimple j others enrich'd, or fiourifh'd .
Post, after, is alfo a Z.tfri«Prepofition, ufed, inCompofi- tion, with feveral Eng'ifi Words ; and generally implying a Relation of Tofteriority.
Post Communion, a Prayer which the Prieft recites after the Communion. See Communion.
Post Diem, a Fee, by way of Penalty, on a Sheriff, for his Neglecl: in returning a Writ after the Day affign'd. See Return.
For this the Cuftos Srevium has four Pence ; whereas he has nothing, if ir be rerurn'd at the Day. See Writ.
Post-N««, in our Statutes, is particularly ufed for fuch
Perfons as were born in Scotland, after the Acceffion of King James I. to the Crown of England.
7 Jac. 1. it was by all the Judges folemnly adjudg'd That fuch Perfons were no Aliens in England; as, on the contrary, the Ante-Nati, or thofe born in Scotland, before that Acceffion, were Aliens here in refpefl to the Time of their Birth.
Foft-Natus is alfo ufed by SraBon, Fleta, Glanville, £?<;. for the fecond Son : Thus in Srompton, lib. 2. Eft con '_ fuetudo in quibufdam partibus quod Poft-Natus prefertur frimogenito.
Yos-c-poning, the putting any thing after, or behind an- other; with regard either to the Order of Ti me, or Place.
Sometimes it is taken in an ill part ; as when we fay. The Book-binder has poft-poned a Sheet, iSc. of a Book.
Vosr-Script, an After-Thought, or Article added to a Letter or Memoir; containing fomething learnt, or recol- lected after the Subscription, or Conclufion of the Piece.
It is ufually mark'd thus, P. S. The Spetlatcr obferves, that a Woman's Mind is ever better learnt from her CP.S. than her Letter.
Post Date. See Date.
Post Diffeifm, a Writ given by the Statute of Weftmin- fter, for him who having recover'd Lands or Tenements, by precipe quodreddat, upon Default or Reddition, is a- gain diffeiz'd by the former Diffeizor. See Disseisin.
Post Fine, a Duty belonging to the King for a Fine formerly acknowledg'd before him, in his Court ; paid by the Cognizee after the Fine is fully pafs'd, and all things touching the fame accompli fli'd.
The Rate isfo much, and half fo much, as was paid to the King for the Tre-Fine; and is collected by the Sheriff of the County where the Land lies, and to be anfwer'd by him into the Exchequer. See Fi n e.
Post Term, a Fee, or Penalty, taken by the Cuftos Srevium of the Courr of Common- Pleas only, for the fi- ling any Writ by an Attorney, after the Term or ufual Time in which fuch Writs are returnable : for which the Cuftos Srevium has twenty Pence. See Writ,
POSTEA, in Law, a Return or Certificate of the Pro- ceedings by Nift PriuS into the Court of Common-Pleas ; after a Verdict. ; and there afterwards recorded.
POSTSCEN1UM, in the antient Theatre. See Para-
SCENIUM.
Post Predicaments, in Logic, are certain general Affec- tions, or Properties, aiifing from a Comparifon of Predi- caments with each other; or, Modes following the Predi- caments, and often belonging to many.
Such, according to Arifiotle, are Oppofite, prius, jimul, metus, and habere ; the three firft of which are in all Pre- dicaments.
POSTERIOR, a Term of Relation, implying fomething behind, or that comes after another. In which fenfe it is ufed in oppofition to Prior and Anterior.
The Back and Hips are the Pofterior Parts of Man. Ariftotle gives Prior and Pofterior Analytics. A Date is Pofterior to another, when it is later, or freifier. See Date.
POSTERIORITY, in Law, a Term of Comparifon and Relation in Tenure, oppofite to Priority.
A Man holding Lands, or Tenements of two Lords, holds of his antienterLordby Priority ; and ofhis later Lord by Pofteriority.
POSTERN, in Fortification, afalfe Door, ufually made in the Angle of the Flank, or of the Curtain, or near the Orillon ; defcending into the Ditch, for the Convenience of private Sallies.
The Word is alfo ufed in the general for any private or back Door. Toteftas habere pofternam in omni Curiape- nitus inhibeatur, fed aniens fi Ingreffus, &c. Fleta.
POSTHUMUS, or Posthumous, a Child born after the Death of his Father, or even of his Mother.
Among the Romans, Popmmus was alfo ufed for a Child born after the making of a Teftament, which occafion'd the Teftator to alter it.
The Word is compofed of the Latin, 'Poft, and Humus, ground. Hence rhe Word comes to be ufed figuratively for the Works of an Author that were not published till after his death .
POSTILLA, a Word antiently ufed for a Note, or Re- mark, wrote in the Margin of the Bible ; and afterwards for a Note wrote in any other Book pofterior to the Text.
Trivet, in his Chronicle, fpeaking of S. Langton, Arch- bifhop of Canterbury, fays, Super Sibliam Portillas fecit; & earn per Capitula quibus nunc ittuntur modern! diftinxit : And that Alexander Bifhop of Chefter, Super Pfalterittm Poftillas fcripflt. Knighton, another of our Hiftorians, fpeaking of one Hugh, Dominican and Cardinal, fays, Totambibliam poftillavit.
POSTING, among Merchants, the putting an Account forward, from one Book to another. See Boon-Keeping-
POo-
