CATH’OLIC (The). Alfonso I. of Asturias, called by Gregory III. His Catholic Majesty (693, 739-757).

Ferdinand II. of Ar’agon, husband of Isabella.  Also called Ruse, “the wily” (1452, 1474-1516).

Isabella wife of Ferdinand II. of Aragon, so called for her zeal in establishing the Inquisition (1450, 1474-1504).

CATHOLIC MAJESTY (Catholica Majestad), the special title of the kings of Spain.  It was first given to king Recared (590) in the third Council of Toledo, for his zeal in rooting out the “Arian heresy.”

Cui a Deo aeternum meritum nisi vero Catholico Recaredo regi?  Cui a Deo aeterna corona nisi vero orthodoxo Recaredo regi?—­Gregor. Mag., 127 and 128.

But it was not then settled as a fixed title to the kings of Spain.  In 1500 Alexander VI. gave the title to Ferdinand V. king of Aragon and Castile, and from that time it became annexed to the Spanish crown.

Ab Alexandro pontifice Ferdinandus “Catholici” cognomentum accepit in posteros cum regno transfusum stabili possessione.  Honorum titulos principibus dividere pontincibus Romanis datur.—­Mariana, De Rebus Hesp., xxvi. 12; see also vii. 4.

CA’THOS, cousin of Madelon, brought up by her uncle Gor’gibus, a plain citizen in the middle rank of life.  These two silly girls have had their heads turned by novels, and thinking their names commonplace, Cathos calls herself Aminta, and her cousin adopts the name of Polix’ena.  Two gentlemen wish to marry them, but the girls consider their manners too unaffected and easy to be “good style,” so the gentlemen send their valets to represent the “marquis of Mascarille” and the “viscount of Jodelet.”  The girls are delighted with these “distinguished noblemen;” but when the game has gone far enough, the masters enter, and lay bare the trick.  The girls are taught a useful lesson, without being involved in any fatal ill consequences.—­Moliere, Les Precieuses Ridicules (1659).

CATHUL’LA, king of Inistore (the Orkneys) and brother of Coma’la (q.v.).  Fingal, on coming in sight of the palace, observed a beacon-flame on its top as signal of distress, for Frothal king of Sora had besieged it.  Fingal attacked Frothal, engaged him in single combat, defeated him, and made him prisoner.—­Ossian, Carrick-Thura.

CAT’ILINE (3 syl.), a Roman patrician, who headed a conspiracy to overthrow the Government, and obtain for himself and his followers all places of power and trust.  The conspiracy was discovered by Cicero.  Catiline escaped and put himself at the head of his army, but fell in the battle after fighting with desperate daring (B.C. 62).  Ben Jonson wrote a tragedy called Catiline (1611), and Voltaire, in his Rome Sauvee, has introduced the conspiracy and death of Catiline (1752).

CA’TO, the hero and title of a tragedy by J. Addison (1713).  Disgusted with Caesar, Cato retired to U’tica (in Africa), where he had a small republic and mimic senate; but Caesar resolved to reduce Utica as he had done the rest of Africa, and Cato, finding resistance hopeless, fell on his own sword.