CASTEL, Louis Bertrand (1688-1757), a learned mathematician, was born at Montpellier in 1G88, and entered the order of the Jesuits in 1703. At first he was a student of literature, but he afterwards devoted himself entirely to mathematics and natural philosophy. He wrote several scientific works, that which attracted most attention at the time being his Optique des Couleurs, or treatise on the melody of colours. He endeavoured to illustrate the subject by a clavecin oculaire, or ocular harpsichord; but the treatise and the illustration were quickly forgotten. He also published a critical account of the system of Sir Isaac Newton in French.

CASTEL SARRASIN, a town of France, capital of an arrondissement, in the department of Tarn et Garonne, situated on the Songuine or Azine, near its influx into the Garonne, 12 miles west of Montauban. The walls which formerly surrounded the town have been converted into promenades. It has manufactures of serges and other woollen stuffs, hats, and leather, and some trade in corn grown in the vicinity. The town is said by some investigators to receive its name from the erection of its castle by the Saracens, but according to others the present form of the word is only a corruption of Castel sur Azine. The Parliament of Toulouse took refuge within the town in 1595. Population in 1872, 3064.

CASTEL VETRANO, a town of Sicily, near the southeast extremity of the island, 12 miles east of Mazzara, in the province of Trapani. It is well and regularly built, and has a population of about 20,000, many of whom are hereditary tenants of the dukes of Monteleone, who have a palace in the town. Near it are the ruins of the ancient city Selinus, which was destroyed by the Carthaginians 409 B.c.

CASTEL-A-MARE, or Castellamare, a city and seaport of Italy, on the Gulf of Naples, 15 miles by rail southeast of the city of that name. It is situated on the lower slopes of Monte Sant’ Angelo (the ancient Mons Gaurus), and along a sheltered beach, commanding an extensive view of the Bay of Naples from Vesuvius to Misenum. It stands near the site of the ancient Stabioe, which was destroyed by Sulla in the social war, but continued to exist as a small place till 79 ad., when it was overwhelmed along with Pompeii and Herculaneum by the great eruption of Vesuvius, and became for ever celebrated as the death-scene of the elder Pliny. The castle, from which the city takes its name, was erected by Frederick II., surrounded by walls and towers in the 13th century by Charles I. of Anjou, and strengthened by additional fortifications by Alphonse I. of Aragon. Castel-a-mare is the seat of a bishopric, and has a royal palace, a cathedral, several churches and convents, a military hospital, barracks, a handsome quay, a royal arsenal, and a dockyard, where the large ships of the Neapolitan navy were formerly built. In shipbuilding it still ranks second of the Italian towns; and there are manufactures of linen, silk and cotton goods, and leather. The port is small, and divided by two forts. The hill immediately above the town is covered with villas and casinos. The royal casino of Quisisana, originally built by Charles II. of Anjou, was restored by Ferdinand I. of Naples. It is more remarkable for its fine prospect than for its magnificence as a palace. Population about 26,000....

CASTELL, Edmund (c. 1606-1685), a learned English Orientalist, was born about 1606, at Hatley, in Cambridgeshire. At the age of fifteen he entered Emmanuel College, Cambridge, but he afterwards changed his residence to St John’s, where he enjoyed the use of a valuable library. His great work was the compiling of his Lexicon Ueptaglotton Hebraicum, Chaldaicum, Syriacum, Samaritanum, Aethiopicum, Arabicum,et Persicum (London, 1669). Over this book he spent eighteen years, working (if we may accept his own statement) from sixteen to eighteen hours a day; he employed fourteen assistants, and by an expenditure of £12,000 brought himself to poverty, for his lexicon, though full of the most unusual learning, did not find purchasers. His loss was partly compensated by a number of preferments, including a prebend at Canterbury, and the professorship of Arabic at Cambridge. Castell also lent the aid of his erudition to the preparation of Dr Walton’s well-known Polyglott Bible. His MSS. he bequeathed to the University of Cambridge.

CASTELLI, Ignaz Friedrich (1781-1862), an Austrian dramatist, was born on 6th March 1781, at Vienna. He completed his education at the university in his native town, and entered the profession of law. The leisure left him by his employment in a subordinate Government office he devoted to literary work, in particular to the composition and adaptation of dramatic pieces. Some of his war-songs became exceedingly popular, and so excited the ill-feeling of the French that Castelli had to flee from Vienna and take refuge in Hungary. In 1811 he was made director of the court theatre by Prince Lobkowitz, but he resigned this post in 1814 in order to accompany Count Cavriani to France as secretary. He returned to Vienna with Count Münch-Bellinghausen, and for many years occupied himself entirely with literary work. He died in 1862 at Lilienfeld. From 1840 he had enjoyed a pension from Government. His autobiography appeared in three volumes, 1861-2. His numerous dramas and minor pieces are distinguished only by their light gaiety and humour.

CASTELLO, Bernardo (1557-1629), a Genoese portrait and historical painter, born at Albaro near Genoa, was the intimate friend of Tasso, and took upon himself the task of designing the figures of the Gerusalemme Liberata, published in 1590; some of these subjects were engraved by Agostino Caracci. Besides painting a number of works in Genoa, mostly in a rapid and superficial style, Castello was employed in Rome, and in the court of the duke of Savoy.

CASTELLO, Giovanni Battista (1500-1569), an eminent Italian historical painter, was born in Bergamo, and is hence ordinarily termed II Bergamasco. He belongs, however, to the school of Genoa, but does not appear to have had any family relationship with the other two painters named Castello, also noticed here. He was employed to decorate the Nunziata di Portoria in Genoa, the saloon of the Lanzi Palace at Gorlago, and the Pardo Palace in Spain. His best-known works are the Martyrdom of St Sebastian, and the picture of our Saviour as Judge of the World on one of the vaultings of the Nunziata. He was an architect and sculptor as well as painter. In 1567 he was invited to Madrid by Philip IL, and there he died, holding the office of architect of the Royal Palaces.

CASTELLO, Valerio (1625-1659), was the youngest son of Bernardo Castello, noticed above. He surpassed his father, and particularly excelled in painting battle-scenes. He painted the Rape of the Sabines, now in the Palazzo Brignole, Genoa, and decorated the cupola of the Church of the Annunciation in the same city. In these works he is regarded by his admirers as combining the fire of Tintoretto with the general style of Paolo Veronese; his premature death cut short a career of high hopes.

CASTELLON DE LA PLANA, a town of Valencia, in Spain, the capital of a modern province, is situated about 4 miles from the sea, and 40 miles N.N.E. of Valencia, in 39° 57' N. lat. and 0° 4' W. long. It derives its name from the extensive plain in which it is situated, and which is watered artificially by an aqueduct brought for the most part through solid rock from the Mijares, a stream about five miles distant. It is walled, and contains two nunneries, three monasteries, and two hospitals, as well as several churches, in which there are paintings by Ribalta, a native artist. There is a brisk local trade maintained in the weaving of sail-cloth and linen. In the time of the Moors the city was situated on a height to the north of the present position, to which it was removed by Jayme I. in 1233. Population, 20,123.

CASTELNAU, Michel de, Sieur de la Mauvissière (c. 1520-1592), a French soldier and diplomatist, ambassador to Queen Elizabeth, was born in Touraine about 1520. He was one of a large family of children, and his grandfather, Pierre de Castelnau, was equerry to Louis XII. Endowed with a clear and penetrating intellect and remarkable strength of memory, he received a careful education, and made rapid progress in his studies. To complete his education he travelled in Italy and made a long stay at Rome. He then spent some time in the Island of Malta, afterwards entered the army, and made his first acquaintance with the art of war in the chequered compaigns of the French in Italy. His abilities and his courage won for him the friendship and protection of the cardinal of Lorraine, who took him into his service. In 1557 a command in the navy was given to him, and the cardinal proposed to get him knighted. This, however, he declined, and then rejoined the French army in Picardy. Various delicate missions requiring tact and discretion were entrusted to him by the constable de Montmorency, and these he discharged so satisfactorily that he was sent by the king, Henry IL, to Scotland, with despatches for Mary Stuart, then betrothed to the Dauphin (afterwards Francis II). From Scotland he passed into England, and treated with Queen Elizabeth respecting her claims on Calais (1559), a settlement of which was effected at the congress of Cambray. Castelnau was next sent, with the title of ambassador, to the princes of Germany, for the purpose of prevailing upon them to withdraw their favour from the Protestants. This embassy was followed by missions to Margaret of Parma, governess of the Netherlands, to Savoy, and then to Rome, to ascertain the views of Pope Paul IV. with regard to ...

CASTELNAUDARY, the chief town of an arrondissement in the department of Aude, in France, 21 miles northwest of Carcassonne. It is finely situated on an elevation in the midst of a fertile and well-cultivated plain; and its commercial facilities are greatly increased by the Canal du Midi, which widens out, as it passes the town, into an extensive basin or reservoir, surrounded with wharves and warehouses. The principal buildings are the courthouses, the church of St Michel, the exchange, and the communal college. There are large manufactures of woollen and cotton goods, linen, leather, bricks, tiles, and earthenware; an extensive trade is maintained in lime, gypsum, grain, fruits, and wine; and the building of canal boats forms an important industry. By some authorities Castelnaudary is supposed to represent the ancient Sostomagus, and to receive its present name, which they regard as a corruption of the Latin Castrum Novum Arianorum, from the fact that it was rebuilt by the Visigoths, who were adherents of the Arian party. It is distinctly mentioned in the 12th century, and in 1212 it was remarkable as the scene of a great conflict between the counts of Toulouse and Foix and Simon de Montfort, in which the former were defeated. In 1229 the town was deprived of its ramparts; and in 1355 it was captured and burned by the Black Prince. In 1632 the duke of Montmorency was defeated here by the royal troops under Schomberg. Population in 1872, 7946.

CASTELO BRANCO(i.e., White Castle), a town and bishop’s seat of Portugal, in the province of Beira, on a hill near the Liria, 64 miles east by south of Coimbra. It is surrounded by walls flanked by towers, and has a ruined castle on the summit of the hill. Population about 5580.