CASTRES, the chief town of an arrondissement in the department of Tarn, France, 23 miles south-east of Alby, stands in a pleasant and fertile valley, on both sides of the Agout, here crossed by two bridges. The town is ill built, and the streets are narrow and crooked; but it has been much improved during the present century. The principal buildings are the town-hall, formerly the episcopal palace, which was built by Mansart, the churches of St Benoît (dating from the 17th century) and Nôtre Dame de la Platé, a modern courthouse, two hospitals, barracks, a theatre, and an exchange. It is the seat of tribunals of primary instance and commerce, and of a Protestant consistory. Castres is celebrated for its manufactures, among which are woollen, linen, silk, and cotton stuffs, soap, leather, paper, and iron and copper wares. It has also a considerable trade. Dacier, Rapin, and Sabatier were natives of the town. Castres grew up round a Benedictine abbey, which is believed to have been founded in the 9th century. It was a place of considerable importance as early as the 12th century, and ranked as the second town of the Albigenses, During the Albigensian crusade it surrendered of its own accord to Simon de Montfort; and in 1356 it was raised to a countship by King John. On the confiscation of the possessions of the D’Armagnac family, to which it had passed, it was bestowed by Louis XI. on Boffilo del Giudice, but the appointment led to so much disagreement that the countship was united to the crown by Francis I. in 1519. In the wars of the latter part of the 16 th century the inhabitants sided with the Protestant party, fortified the town, and established an independent republic. They were brought to terms, however, by Louis XIII., and forced to dismantle their ...