CASTALIO'N or CHASTEILLON, SEBASTIAN, was born in Dauphiu6, some say in Savoy, about 1515. He applied early to the ancient languages, and became a great proficient in Greek and Hebrew.
Being at Strasbourg in 1540-1, he mado the acquaintance of John Calvin, who invited him to Geneva, and had him appointed to a chair in the college of that city. After two or three years, Castalion having become obnoxious to Cavil' on account of some of his opiuiona, which were not in accordance with Calvinistic orthodoxy, especially ou the subject of predestination, left Geneva for Basel, where he employed himself in teaching Greek and in writing several works, chiefly on Scriptural subjects. He wrote Psalterium reliquaque sacrarum Literarum Carmine et Precationes,' 1547, with notes; 'Jonas Pro pheta, heroico carmine Latino descriptus ; "Dialogorum Sacrorum ad linguam et mores puerorum formandos, libri iv.' fhis last work has been translated into English by Dr. Bellamy, under the title, Youth's Scripture Remembrancer, or Select Sacred Stories by way of familiar Dialogues, in Latin and English, with a short Application of each Story, London, 1743. He also published a version iu Latin verse of the Sibylline Books, with notes, and a Latin translation of the 'Dia logues' of Bernardinb Before he left Geneva he had under taken a complete Latin version of the Bible from the Hebrew and Greek, which he completed at Basel, where it was published in 1551, and dedicated to Edward VI. of England. Ile published a French version of the same in 1555. Caetalion's versions were made the subject of much conflicting criticism. His Latin Bible went through several editions; that of Leipzig, 1697, contains also his Delmeatio of Ida favourite dussilth mythology, and ho was remarkably suomen fed. Soon after his return, in Ibll, he tsublished, at Hele1ngfors, • teuesIaticss foto Swerreh, in the metre of the original, of the great death poem Kalerals; the discovery of which by Dr. Lonnrot, who Ent Dotal pert of it down from the lips of the peasantry, has made aa epoch in the history of Finnish literature. It was this trans. Lotion that first brought the poem into general notice; and, eartainly, sisal Ilsaphersoles 'Nolan,' no disoovery of the kind, real or supposed. hu proisessd an equal auseacion. Hiawatha,' the recent poem of Professor Leagf -now, though purporting to be an embodiment of the had time of the North American Indbuss, la borrowed from the *Kelevale IA in Its peculiar metre, and 0T1131 In its more pews sent passages. Soon after its publication Castrdn eel out en his third philological journey, which appears to have been made in its outset at the expense of Dr. Lennrot, and afterwards at that of the Ruetan Academy of Science.. It took him first to hie old quarter. at Kerr& then to Kola, the capital of Russian Lapland, and finally to the Samoyeds on the omit of the White Sea. Here, with only fifteen rubles to keep him from starvation, he struck op an aequaiatases with some of the savage Samoyeds, or caouibals, one of whom for an occasional glass of brandy undertook to teach him the Samoyed language ; and In the but of this man he passed nearly the Is-hol. of a summer, enraged in the study. Towards the end of his
travels, which bated four years, from 1845 to 1849, he crossed the Teielras, or dessert. of European Russia, between the White Sea and the Unl, where not even the reindeer can front the wintry blast and lies. Philologer has its martyrs as well as religion. Castren returned with I is coustitutioss tuioed.
While en his travels he had written most interesting and animated letter* descriptive of his adventures and discoveries, which were printed is ihe 'Suomi:an exoellent periodical in the Swedish language published at lieleingfors. Many communications from him on learned aubjeem, chiefly written in German, appeared at the same time In the 'Bulletin of the Academy of Sciences' at St. Petersburg. On his return ids name was universally known as that of a philologist of the first rank, but It was not till March 1851, on the occasion of a visit of the Grand Duke Alexander, the present Emperor of Russia, to the University of lielsingfors, that he win raised from the position of a 'privateloornt,' or private tutor, to that of professor of the Finnish and old Scandinavian langnages. One of his duties was to deliver a course of lecture* on Finaith mythology, which he immediately em u:mesa composing, but before they could be finished he was no more. Ile died at Heisingfors on the 7th of May 1352, from the effects of his Samoyed journey.
The translation of the ' Katmai.; and some of Castrin's other worts, have been already mentioned. Me lectures, 'Vorlesungeo fiber Finnische Mythologise' were published in German at St. Petersburg in 1E53 under the editorship of Schiefner. A German version of his travels by Helms was published at Leipzig In 1853, and analysed at sumo length in the ' Quertarly Review.' Ills other works were mostly of • philological character Elements Grammatiees Teheremisere, Km*, ISIS. 8vo; ' Momenta nrammatitea Syrjanse,' HalsIngfors, 1e44, bee; 'Do arszis personalibus lioguarum Altaicarum, llelsiog• f-n, 1850, 4to. There is also an Ostia Grammar in German, forming • portion of a work called 'Nonlischs Reim and Forschuogen,' which was commenced st St. Petersburg in 1849. It need hardly be added that all them works are of the highest value to those who take en Interest in what is called the Ugrian family of languages, comprising the Finnish. the Hungarian, the Syryanian, and other dielecte mattered over the eurface of European Ruse* to investigate which was the ebjeet of Castren's devoted exertions. It is much to be regretted for the oaks of learning, as well as on other accounts, that he was snatched away before be had tbs. to oomninnicate to the world the results of Isle dauntless and Ingenious labours.