Balthazar, an eminent Italian nobleman, descended from an illustrious and ancient family, and born at his own villa at Casalico in the duchy of Milan in 1478. He studied painting, sculpture, and architecture, as appears from a book he wrote in favour of these arts; and excelled so much in them, that Raphael Urbino, and Buonarotti, though incomparable artists, never thought their works complete, without the approbation of Count Castiglioni. When he was 26 years of age, Guido Ubaldo, duke of Urbino, sent him ambassador to Pope Julius II. He was sent upon a second embassy to Louis XII. of France, and upon a third to Henry VII. of England. After he had dispatched his business here, he returned, and began his celebrated work, entitled the Courtes; which he completed at Rome in 1516. This work is full of moral and political instruction: and if we seek for the Italian tongue in perfection, it is said to be nowhere better found than in this performance. A version of this work, together with the original Italian, was published at London in 1727, by A. P. Castiglioni, a gentleman of the same family, who resided there under the patronage of Dr Gibson, bishop of London. Count Castiglioni was sent by Clement VII. to the court of the emperor Charles V. in quality of legate, and died at Toledo in 1529.

CASTILLE, New, or The Kingdom of Toledo, a province of Spain, bounded on the north by Old Castile, on the east by the kingdoms of Arragon and Valencia, on the south by those of Murcia and Andalusia, and on the west by the kingdom of Leon. It is divided into three parts; Argaria to the north, Mancha to the east, and Sierra to the south. Madrid is the capital. Both these provinces are very well watered with rivers, and the air is generally pure and healthy; but the land is mountainous, dry, and uncultivated, through the laziness of the inhabitants. The north part produces fruits and wine, and the south good pastures and fine wool. The population of New Castile in 1787 amounted to 949,649 persons, including 14,000 priests, monks, and nuns.

CASTILLE, Old, a province of Spain, with the title of a kingdom. It is about 192 miles in length, and 115 in breadth; bounded on the south by New Castile, on the east by Arragon and Navarre, on the north by Biscay. Biscay and Asturias, and on the west by the kingdom of Leon. Burgos is the capital town.

CASTILLO-del-Oro, a fertile and large country in South America, lying to the west of the Oroonoko. It comprehends eight governments; viz. Terra Firma, Proper Cartagena, St Martha, Rio de la Hacha, Venezuela, New Andalusia, Popayan, and the kingdom of New Granada.