Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 3.djvu/609

 CESLAUS

547

CEYLON

By the Donation of Pepin (752) it became a fief of the Holy See, which was confirmed in its possession by Rudolph of Hapsburg (127S). In medieval times it was governed by various families, e. ,g. the Ordelaffi di Forli and the Malatcsta, the latter being remem- bered for their justice and good government. After the death of Caesar Borgia, Cesena, with the rest of Romagna. acknowledged the immediate authority of the Holy See (1503). Among its many famous men we may mention two popes: Pius VI (Gian Angelo Bra-schi) and Pius VII (Barnaba Chiaramonti). The best known of its bishops were: St. Maurus (d. 946); Gian Battista Acciaioli (1332), exiled by Francesco degli Ordelaffi; Gregorio Malesardi (14(18), who built the cathedral; Jacopo (1379), under whom occurred the massacre ordered by the pseudo-pope, ('lenient VII; the Dominican Vincenzo Maria Orsini, later Benedict XIII. Cesena is suffragan of Ravenna and has 59 parishes, 66,700 inhabitants, and pos- sesses 5 convents for men and 8 for women.

Cappelletti, Le chiese d'ltalia, II, 525-56; Brasciii, Memorial Cresenales (Rome. 173s ; Annates f'irsni. in Muu.v- tohi, R, r. llal. Script., XIV, 1089-11S6.

U. Benigni.

Ceslaus, Saint, b. at Kamien in Silesia, Poland (now Prussia), about 1184; d. at Breslau about 11242. He was of the noble family of Odrowatz and a rela- tive, probably a brother, of St. Hyacinth. Having studied philosophy at Prague, he pursued his theologi- cal and juridical studies at the University of Bologna, after which he returned to Cracow, where he held the office of canon and custodian of the church of Sando- mir. About 1218 he accompanied his uncle Ivo, Bishop of Cracow, to Rome. Hearing of the great, sanctity of St. Dominic, who had recently raised to

life the nephew of Cardinal Orsini. Ceslaus, together with St. Hyacinth, sought admission into the Order of Friars Preachers. They received the religious habit from the hands of St. Dominic in the convent of Santa Sabina. Their novitiate completed, St. Dominic sent the two young religious back as missionaries to their own country. Establishing a monastery at Friesach in Austria, they proceeded to Cracow, whence Ceslaus was sent by St. Hyacinth to Prague, the metropolis of Bohemia.

Labouring with much fruit throughout the Diocese of Prague, Ceslaus went, to Breslau, where he founded a large monastery, and then extended his apostolic labours over a vast territory, embracing Bohemia, Poland, Moravia. Pomerania. and Saxony. Some- time after the death of St. Hyacinth he was chosen provincial of Poland. Whilst he was superior of the convent of Breslau all Poland was threatened by the Tatars. The city of Breslau being besieged, t he people sought the aid of St. Ceslaus, who by his pray- ers miraculously averted the impending calamity. Four persons are said to have been raised to life by

him. Having always been venerated as a saint, his cull was finally confirmed by Clement. XI in 1713. His feast is celebrated throughout the Dominican ( Irder on 16 .Inly.

■ July, IV; riiRzvszcY, Drci schl heilige, der heU. Hyacinth, der teltt/e Cealaue, und d

■ lei, L807): CtiRisirs, VergnQgvmgen tnOesiger . V, 106 sq.; Pol. Jahrb. der SUidl Bretlau, I, 51, 57; v - 62 - A. W.u.mtoN.

Cestra, a titular see of \-ia Minor. Hierocles (709), Georgius Cyprius (ed. Gelzer, p. 836), and Par- they (Xotitia? episcopatuum) place this city in Isauria, as a suffragan of Seleu (ei a. Bishop Epi- phanius was present at Chalcedon in 451, and sub- scribed the letter to Emperor Leo in 45S (Lequien, II. 1025 . Another, I Ipidius, was a partisan of Severus (Chronique de Michel le Syrien, ed. Chabot, 267; Brooks, The Sixth Book of the Select better, of Severus, 159, 161). Lequien supposes that the town was situated near the River Cestros, in Pam-

phylia, and took its name from that stream. This inadmissible hypothesis caused an odd mistake in the "Gerarchia cattolica" (Rome, 1895, 302), ac- cording to which Cestra is Ak-Sou; this is the name of the River Cestros, not a city. The site has not yet been identified. S. Petrides.

Cethim. See Cyprus.

Ceylon, an island (266$ miles long and 140$ miles broad), to the south-east of India and separated from it only by a chain of reefs and sand-banks called Adam's Bridge. The maritime districts, which are flat and low, are distinguished from the central parts, which are mountainous, by great difference in temperature. The mean temperature has been calcu- lated at 76.3°, the lowest being 28.2° at Newera Eliya, and the highest 103.8° at Anuradhapura, the ancient sacred capital of the island. The climate of Cey- lon is influenced by two monsoons: the south-west prevailing from May to September, and t he north-east from November to February. Pidurutalagala (8296 ft.) is the highest mountain, and Adam's Peak (7353 ft. ) is the best known, as containing the legendary foot- prints of Buddha worshipped by Buddhists and Mo- hammedans alike, and as the yearly resort of a multi- tude of pilgrims. The country is well watered by rivers, of which the Kelani-ganga enters the sea at Colombo, the capital of the island, and the Mahavili- ganga at Trincomalee. Ceylon is rich in vegetation and scenery, and as the traveller proceeds from Colombo to Kandy (the seat of the ancient kings) and thence to Xewara Eliya, it presents a panorama of beauty. The country abounds in tropical fruits, such as pineapples, plantains, oranges, and mangoes, and in such trees as ebony, satin, calamander, and ironwood. The plantations produce, principally, cocoanuts and cinnamon, tea, cinchona, cocoa, and, more recently, rubber. The most noted up-country product formerly was coffee. This has given place to tea, Ceylon now being one of the chief tea-growing countries in the world. The island has from very ancient times been famous for its gems, of which the chief are sapphires, rubies, and cat's-eyes; the Gulf of Manaar on the north-west coast is the scene of the famous pearl fishery'. Plumbago or graphite is the only mineral product of any importance. The animal kingdom is well represented in Ceylon, which has from olden times been renowned for its elephants.

History and People. — Ceylon's history goes back to a remote past. Galle in the south of the island is by some believed to be the seaport of ancient Tarshish from which King Solomon drew his "ivory, apes, and peacocks". Under the name of Taprobane it was known to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Hence Milton's reference to Ceylon as " India's utmost isle, Taprobane". To the people of India, however, it was "Lanka", the resplendent, a name still in use. It is celebrated in the great Indian epic, the " Rama- yana" in which is related the story of the abduction of the Indian Princess Sita by Ravena, King of Cey- lon, and of the war which followed in consequence. We pass from legend to actual history at about the year 5 13 B.C. w lien Wijeya.a prince of Northern India, invaded Ceylon and conquered the natives known as Yakkos and, having married the native princess Kuveni, settled in the country with his 700 followers. Wijeya was son of King Sihabahu, "the slayer of the lion' (dha or sinha), hence the name "Sinhale e", given to the people of Ceylon. The Sinhalese (Cin- galese) being thus the descendants of the Wijcyan settler> belong to the Aryan stock, and their language

and customs bear out this origin. The wild men of Ceylon, known as the Veddas, " hunters", who inhabit a small area in the remote interior of the island and live principally by the bow and arrow, are the repre- sentatives of the aboriginal inhabitants whom Wijeya subdued. The Wijeya n dynasty was not allowed 'rid is-