Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 02.djvu/428

LEFT CASTILLON 374 CASTLEREAGR their fathers did before them. This ancient province now forms the five provinces of Madrid, Ciudad-Real, Cu- enca, Guadalajara, and Toledo. Pop. about 2,400,000. Old Castile (Castilla la Vieja) stretches from the Bay of Biscay to New Castile; area, 25,405 square miles. It is traversed by three mountain chains — the Sierra de Guadarrama, the Sierra de Deza, and the Cantabrian Mountains. It is less dry than New Castile, and grain, particularly wheat, is raised in great abundance. The pastures both of the mountains and the plains are excellent, and much merino wool is produced. Old Castile now forms the pi'ovinces of Bur- gos, Logrorio, Santander, Soria, Segovia, Avila, Palencia, and Valladolid. Pop. about 1,900,000. CASTILLON (kas-te-yon'), a town in the French department of Gironde, on the right bank of the Dordogne, 33 miles E. of Bordeaux by rail. Beneath its walls, on June 13, 1453, the English met with a signal defeat, their leader, Earl Talbot of Shrewsbury, and his son, being slain. Part of the battle is described in the fourth act of Shakespeare's "King Henry VI., Part I." Pop. about 3,500. CASTLE, a building constructed for the purpose of repelling attack. The castella left by the Romans in Great Britain and elsewhere were constructed on the general model of their stationary encampments {castra stativa), and though they may have suggested the castles of the Middle Ages, they differed from them in being designed for military purposes only, and not also as places of permanent residence. The Norman cas- tles were generally surrounded by a moat or ditch; and in order that the ditch might be readily filled with water the site chosen was usually either on the banks of a river or on a peninsula run- ning into a lake; on the inner side of the ditch mounds were constructed, which were surmounted with walls and towers, both of which, but particularly the latter, were supplied with battle- ments and bastions. The entrance-gates were also protected by towers, which were usually of great strength. The communication was by a bridge, some- times of stone, but usually of wood, which was made to draw up and down; and the entrance, in addition to thick folding-doors, was protected by a port- cullis, which was dropped down through grooves in the masonry at the sides. The gate-way, in the castles of the larger sort, was further defended by a barba- can. On passing the external wall one entered the bailey, which sometimes con. sisted of several courts, and contained the barracks, magazines, well, a chapel, and sometimes even a monastery. The keep was a species of internal castle, more strongly defended than any other portion of the fortress, and placed in the most advantageous position, so as to af- ford a last chance to the garrison when driven from the external works. As the keep had the same design as the castle itself, it contained most of its appliances, even to a chapel, when large and com- plete. The keep was also called the dungeon or donjon. CASTLE, EGERTON, an English author, born March 12, 1858. He was educated at Glasgow University and Cambridge. After a brief military ca- reer he turned to literature and jour- nalism. His novels, some of which have been dramatized and many of which were written in collaboration with his wife, Agnes Castle, include: "Consequences," "Saviola," "The Light of Scarthey," "The Pride of Jennico," "Young April," "The Star-Dreamer," "Wroth," "The Grip of Life," etc. He died in 1920. CASTLE, VERNON, an English actor and aviator; born at Norwich, England, May 2, 1887. His last name was Blythe, but he dropped it for professional pur- poses, retaining his first two names. He was educated at Birmingham University and expected to become a civil engineer. He turned, however, to the stage, coming to America and making his d^but in 1907. He soon discovered that his real talent lay in dancing and inventing new steps. With his wife, formerly Miss Irene Foote, whom he married in 1911, he speedily became the vogue as an ex- hibition dancer and teacher. Shortly after the opening of the World War, he studied aviation, received a pilot's cer- tificate from the Aero Club of America, and in March, 1917, attached himself to the British Royal Flying Corps on the western front. He did good service there for a year. He then came to Amer- ica to act as instructor to the Canadian units of the flying corps, who were hav- ing winter training in Texas, and was killed in an airplane accident, Feb. 5, 1918. CASTLEBAR, the capital town of County Mayo, Ireland. It is on the Cas- tlebar river, 10 miles N. E. of Westport; has linen manufactures. In 1641 oc- curred here the massacre of the English Parliamentary army in the Irish rebel- lion; in 1789 Castlebar was held for a fortnight by the French general, Hum- bert. Pop. about 4,000. CASTLEREAGH, ROBERT STEW- ART, VISCOUNT (kas-el-ra'), second