Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

562 CAST ENGRAVINGS-CASTE.
alloy in a state of fiUsion, capable of taking, lets and operas, as, for example, in John
as it is stated, the finest impression. No of Paris.
sooner is one cast worn out, than another CASTANOS, don Francisco de, a Spanmay immediately be procured from the ish general, born 1743, compelled the
original plate, so that every impression French general Dupont de l'Etang to lay
may be a proof. down his arms, July 20, 1808, in the
CASTAGNO, Andrea del, an eminent Sierra Morena, and concluded with him
painter, was born at the village of Cas- the important capitulation of Baylen.
tagno, in Tuscany, in 1409. Being de- IHe is descended from a distinguished
prived, when young, of his parents, who family in Biscay, and was a pupil of the
Awere extremely poor, he was employed celebrated general count O'Reilly, whom
by his uncle to attend the cattle in the he. accompanied to Germany, where he
fields, and, in that situation, by his sur- studied tactics in the school of the great
prising and untutored essays in the art, Frederic. In 1794, lie served as colonel
attracted the notice of Bernardetto de in the army of Navarre, under Caro. In
Medici, who placed him under the tuition 1798, he was made lieutenant-geleral,
of one of the best masters Florence then and soon after was banished, with many
afforded. At first, he painted only in dis- other officers, for enmity to the prince
tenuper and fresco, and was in high repu- of peace. On the invasion of the French,
tation when Domenico Venetiano visited he received, in 1808, the command of a
Florence, who had learnei, from An- division of the army, on the frontiers of
tonello da Messina, the new method of Andalusia, towards which Dupont was
painting in oil and varn'ish, till then utin- preparing to advance his forces. ith
known in Tuscany. The splendor of 9000 regular troops, and about 30,000
this new mode of coloring was very militia, he defeated general Dupont. (See
much admired, and, by a pretended Baylen.) IHe lost, however, a battle at
friendship for Domenico, Castagno ob- Tudela (November, 1808). In 1811, the
tained his secret from himl; but, not sat- regency appointed him commander-inisfied with this, he desired to be the sble chief of the fourth Spanish army, and
possessor, and determined to murder his governor of several provinces. He was
firiend and benefactor. This he effected now the companion in arms of the duke
wixthout any suspicion, and continued to of WVellington, and displayed great milipractise his ill-acquired art with great tary talent in the battle of Vittoria, which
success. The real author of this atro- was, in part, won by his bravery and the
cious act was never discovered until An- valor of his troops. The regency deprivdrea made a fill confession of his guilt, ed him of his command, and appointed
shortly before his death, which happened him counsellor of state. He wrote to the
in 1480. The best of his remaining works minister of war, "I have the satisfaction
are at Florence, in the church of St. Lu- of delivering up to field-marshal Freyre,
cia de Magnuoli, and in the monastery on the frontiers of France, the command
degli Angeli. The latter contains a cruci- which I received before Lisbon, in 1811."
fixion, by him, painted on a wall. On the return of Ferdinand, he was made
CASTANETS; small wooden rattles, captain-general of Catalonia, and had sevmade in the shape of two bowls or cups, eral orders conferred on him. In 1815,
fitted together, and tied by a string, and he commanded the army that was to inthen fastened to the thumbs. The fin- vade France. In 1816, he resigned his
gers being rapidly struck upon them, a commission. In 1824, he succeeded in
tremulous sound is produced, which defending himself from the charge of
marks exactly the measure of the dance. constitutional sentiments, was again apSomething similar to this was the crota- pointed captain-general, and, in 1825,
ion of the ancients, who also made use of made counsellor of state.
small cymbals in their dances and festivals CASTE; certain classes whose burdens
in honor of Bacchus. It is probable, and privileges are hereditary. The word
however, that they had their origin in the is derived from the Portuguese casta, and
East, and were brought by the Moors in- was originally applied, by the conquerors
to Spain. I-ere, too, they received their of the East Indies, to the Indian families,
name castanuelas, from being commonly whose occupations, customs, privileges
made of the wood of the chestnut (casta- and duties are hereditary. This term has
no), or'from their color. They are still in been sometimes applied to the hereditary
use in Spain, and here and there in the classes in Europe; and we speak of the
south of France. The charm of variety spirit or the prerogatives and usurpations
ias also procured for them a place in bal- of a caste, to express particularly that un