Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 09.djvu/281

Castle ‘An Essay towards Supplying the City of Dublin with Water.’

 CASTLE, THOMAS (1804?–1840?) botanical and medical writer, was born in Kent, and after leaving school became a pupil of John Gill, surgeon, at Hythe; in his third year he began his first book, which he finished before going to London to carry on his studies. He entered Guy's Hospital in 1826, and was a member of its Physical Society; the year following he was elected fellow of the Linnean Society, when he was living in Bermondsey Square. Subsequently he removed to Brighton, and in 1838 he signed himself ‘M.D., F.L.S., consulting physician to St. John's British Hospital and memb. Trin. Coll. Camb.’ His name is to be found in the medical list of the same year, but he seems to have died soon afterwards. Further particulars of his life are wanting; the above having been gleaned from his publications, which are as follows: 1. ‘Lexicon Pharmacopœlium,’ Lond. 1826, 8vo, 2nd edit., 1834. 2. ‘Modern Surgery,’ 1828, 12mo. 3. ‘Manual of Surgery,’ ed. by, 2nd edit. 1829, 3rd edit. 1831. 4. ‘Systematic and Physiological Botany,’ 1829, 12mo. 5. ‘Medical Botany,’ 1829, 12mo. 6. ‘Linnæan System of Botany,’ 1836, 4to. 7. ‘Essay on Poisons,’ 1834, 8vo, 7th edit. 1845. 8. ‘Pharmacopœia, Roy. Coll. Phys.’ trans. by, 1837, 8vo, 2nd edit. 1838. 9. ‘Table of Greek Verbs,’ Cambridge, 1832, 4to. He also edited two editions of Blundell's ‘Diseases of Women,’ 1834 and 1837, and with J. A. Barton published a ‘British Flora Medica,’ 1837, a second edition of which was edited in 1867 by J. R. Jackson.

 CASTLEHAVEN, (d. 1651). [See .]

CASTLEMAIN, BARBARA [PALMER], (d. 1709). [See .]

CASTLEMAIN, (d. 1705)^ [See .]

CASTLEREAGH, (1739–1821). [See .]

CASTLETON, (d. 1723). [See Saunderson, James}}.]

CASTRO, ALFONSO (1495–1558), theologian, was a native of Zamora in Spain, and at an early age entered the Franciscan order at Salamanca. He became famous both as a theologian and a preacher. So great was his reputation that about 1532 he was summoned to Bruges by the Spanish merchants resident there, that they might have the advantage of his teaching. As a theologian he had followed with interest the controversies opened up by the Lutheran movement, and while he was at Bruges he finished the great work on which he had been long engaged, a treatise ‘Adversus Hæreses,’ which was published at Paris in 1534. The object of his book was a classification and examination of all heretical opinions, together with a refutation of them, and an account of their condemnation at previous times by the church. So great was the learning of Fray Alfonso that his book was at once accepted as a repertory for controversial purposes on the Roman side. In twenty-two years it passed through ten editions in France, Italy, and Germany. The best known are Cologne, 1536, 1539, 1543, 1549; Lyons, 1546, 1556.

Soon after the publication of this work he returned to Salamanca, and continued his work as a preacher. In 1537 he published a volume of sermons on Psalm li. (‘Homiliæ xxv. in Psalmum li.,’ Salamanca, 1537), and in 1540 another volume of sermons on Psalm xxxi. (‘Homiliæ xxiv. in Psalmum xxxi.,’ Salamanca, 1540). His merits were recognised by Charles V, who made him one of his chaplains. He was present as a representative of the Spanish church at the first session of the Council of Trent. He seems, however, soon to have returned to Salamanca, where he published, in October 1547, a treatise ‘De justa hæreticorum punitione,’ which was dedicated to Charles V. In this work he set himself to prove—not that it was just to punish heretics, which he regarded as sufficiently proved already, but that the actual punishments inflicted by the church were justly imposed. In 1550 he published at Salamanca his last book, ‘De potestate legis pœnalis,’ in which he discussed, with much ability, several questions regarding the moral obligations attaching to legal enactments. The book is curious, as giving some insight into the difficulties which arose from the movement of the Reformation, and the conflict between conscientious convictions and legal obligations. The question, Has the law an inherent claim on man's obedience, or only a power of punishing its non-observances? was one which exercised the minds of men.

Fray Alfonso is connected with English history because he was chosen by Charles V to accompany his son Philip when he came as the accepted husband of Queen Mary in 