POSSEVINO, prWSti-Ve'DA, ANTONIO (c.1534 1611). An Italian Jesuit and Papal diplo mat, horn at Mantua. lie studied at Rome, was appointed secretary to Ercole Gonzaga, ire 1559 entered the Jesuit Order, and was later rector of the Jesuit College at Avignon. In 1577 be was despatched to Sweden for the purpose of effecting the return of that country to the Roman communion. Though King John III. gave assur ance of obedience to the Pope, an ecclesiastical commission at Rome failed to accede to many of the King's propositions, and the monarch dis continued mssotiations. In 1581 Possevino re ceived credentials as Papal ambassador to Poland and Russia. the Pope having been appealed to by Ivan IV.. the Terrible, to serve as arbiter. He alded in accomplishing peace (1582), but failed in his attempt. to obtain the consolidation of the Greek and Roman Churches. De did, however, secure religions freedom for Roman Catholic merchants, and safe conduct. for Papal nuncios
and missionaries. Subsequently he was active as ambassador and missionary, and in 1587-91 lectured at the University of Padua. In addi tion to numerous controversial writings, he pub lished iloseoria, sire de Rebus Muscoriticis (1586), containing a narrative of his own em bassy; Ribliotheca Seleeta de Retinae Studiorum (1593); and Apparatus Saar (1603-06), an ex tensive and painstaking, though not uniformly critical presentation of the sources of general theology.
PoSSNECK, peenek. A town of Saxe-Mein ingen, Germany, situated 54 miles southwest of Leipzig (Map: Germany, D 3). 1t has a Gothic church of the fourteenth century. and a Gothic town ball. The chief manufactures are woolen and leather goods, porcelain, and dyes. Popula tion, in 1900, 12,266.