B R i
B R f
Bjo feet, the whole length of the bridge, including abutments, is 1 220 feet, which is the breadth of the river. The arches are femicircular, and fpring from about the height of 2 feet above low water mark.
Thefe arches give, as has been faid, a water-way of 870 feet ; the proportion of the water-way being fo confiderable with re- fpect to the breadth of the piers, k follows that the fall of water under this bridge mull be very feaH. And, in effect, thofe who attempted to calculate it before the bridge was built, after making all poffible allowances, could never find the per- pendicular height of this fall to exceed three inches and three fourths; but, in truth, it now appears by experience, that the height of the greateft fall is fcarce half an inch ; whereas the height of the fall at London bridge is from four feet and nine inches to five feet.
The foundations of the piers of Weftminfter bridge are laid on a ftrong grating of timber, planked underneath. This grating was made of the bottom of a veffel, fuch as the French call Caijpm \ the fides of which were fo contrived, that they might be taken off after a pier was finiflied. The bed of the river was dug to a fufficient depth, and made level, in order to lay the bottom of the Caijfon^ and the bottom of the piers, out of all danger; the ground, by all trials that could be contrived, feemed fo good, being every where a bed of grave!, that piling was thought unneceflary. Whether there be any fofter ffratum under this or not, we cannot pretend to determine ; neither does it appear from experience, that piling is an abfo- lute fecurity againft all accidents. By what Gaultier fays, it "would feem otherwife ; for he affures us, that let the architect of a bridge do his beft, yet he can no more be fure of the fuc- cefs of his work than a phyhcian is. And, in effect, we find, that notwithftanding the care that was taken in examiningthe ground on which Weftminfter bridge was built, yet one of the piers funk confiderably. This damage is now repaired, and the bridge was opened for pafTengers and carriages, in Novem- ber 1750. Its beauty and convenience is juftly admired ; and it were to be wifhed, that we had a detail of all the arts ufed in building it.
BRIDLE (Cycl.) — In Heu of z bridle, the maftcrs frequently ufe the word band: thus, for Pull the bridle, they fay, Bear the hand. To cleave to, or hold by the bridle, is the fault of a bad horfeman, who, when a horfe is diforderly, inftead of flacking his hand, clings to it, as if it were to the mane or pummel of the faddle ; wanting the habit, or ftrength, to keep himfelf fall: by clinging with his thighs. Guilt. Gent. Diet. P. 1. in voc.
Checks of the bridle are called ebrillades zndfaccades. Seethe articles Ebrillade, SuppL and Saccade, Cycl. Pliny allures, that one Pelethronius invented the bridle and faddle * ; though Virgil b attributes the invention to the Lapi- thas, to whom he gives the epithet Pekthronii, from a moun- tain in Theffaly named Peletbronium, where horfes were firft begun to be broken, — [ a Plin. Hift. Nat. 1. 7. c. 56. Frcnss & Jlrata equorum Pelethronius, Hardouin makes this Pelethronius the king of the Lapithx, which reconciles the two opinions. Vid. Not. adloc. b Virg. Georg. 1. 3. v. 115. Turncb. Ad- verf. I. 21. c. 9. Trev. Diet. Univ. T. 2. p. 2018. voc. Frein.]
Others afcribe the invention to Minerva, who is faid to have firft: bridled Pegafus. Pitifc. Lex. Antiq. T. 1. p. 818. voc. Frena.
The firft horfemen being unacquainted with the art of governing horfes by bridles, managed them only with a rope, or a fwitch, and the accent of the voice. This was the practice of the Numidians, Getulians, Libyans, and Maffilians. Potter, Archa-oL Grac. 1. 3. c. 3. T. 2. p. 11. The Roman youth alfo learned the art of fighting without bridles, which was an exercife or leftbn in the manege; and hence it is, that, on the Trajan column, foldiers are repre- fented riding at full fpecd, without any bridles on. Vid. Phil, Tranfact 1^322. p. 406.
Bridle, in anatomy. See the article Frjenum, Cycl. and SuppL
Bridle, among furgeons, is a kind of bandage contrived for re- taining the lower jaw in its place. Le Clcrc, Compl. Surgeon, p. 98. See the article Bandage.
Scalding Bridle.— In Stafford flii re they have a bridle for correc- ting fcolding women. It is put in the mouth, and takes par- ticular hold of the tongue, which it effectually keeps from ffirring : thus harnaffed, the offender is led in triumph through the ftrects. A figure and defcription of this Staffordfhire bridle is given by Dr. Plott, who feerns to wifh the ufe of it more univerfal. Plott, Nat. Hift. StafFordfh. c. 9. §.97.
Bridle-/vw/ fignifies the horfeman's left-hand, in refpect of which the right-hand is called the fpear or fword-hand. Guill. Gent. Diet. P. I. in voc.
'BniDhv-cbain, in hufbandry, a narric given by our farmers to a part of the ftructure of their ploush. This is an iron chain of feveral links, faftened at one end to the beam of the plough, near that part where the collar receives the tow-chain, and faftened at its other end to the ftake of the plough, or to that upright piece which runs parallel to the left crowftaff, and at its bottom pins in the tow-chain ; this ftake is faftened to the crowftaff, fometimes by the end of this bridle-chain, and fome-
times by a wythe or cord. TulPs Hufbandry. Sec the artic!8 Plough.
BRIDON, or Bridoon, in the manege, properly denotes a fnaffle, in contradiftinction from a bit or bridle. Guill, Gent. Diet. P.i. in voc. Snaffle. See the articles Snaffle, Bitj Bridle, fere.
The French fay, that the Enghfh ufe no bridles, but only bri- doom, except in the army : a horfe never goes fo well nor fure with a bridwi, unlefs he have been firft broke to the bit. Nnv ra/.ap. Trev. Dia. Univ. T. 1 . p. 124 c. voc. Bridon,
BRIEF, (Cycl.) a thing of fhort extent or duration.
The word is formed from the French bnf, of the Latin brevity which fignifies the fame.
Brief is more particularly ufed for a fummary or fhort ftate of a thing. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 614. voc. Bum's. Catv.Lex.Jur. p. 771. See the article Breviary.
Briff is alfo ufed for an act or writing drawn up by a notary. Du Cange, ibid. p. 15. voc. Brevis.
Attejled Brief, Breve tefatum, a public inftrument cloathed with the proper formalities. Ibid. p. 616.
Brief of devifmg, Brevis divifionatis, denotes a laft will or tef-* tament. Seethe article Devise, Cycl.
Briff of an oath, Breve facramenti, an inftrument made onoathj and authenticated by the fubfeription of witnelTes.
Brief is alfo ufed for a judicial epiftle, directed by a lord of other fuperior, to his fubjects or dependents, enjoining fome- thingto be done or forborn. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 6 1 6. voc. Brevis.
In which fenfe, we fay, the loisl's, king's, bifhop's or pope's brief.
Brief alfo denotes the territory or diftrict within which the lord's brief hzd courfe. In which fenfe, we meet with the bifhop's brief breve epifcopi, the count's brief, breve com'ttis, he. Idem, fb. p. 615.
Brief alfo denotes the yearly revenue arifing out of the lands ufu- ally defcribed in briefs. Id. ibid.
Brief is alfo ufed for a letter written by the pope to fome prince or magiftrate, relating to fome public affairs. Thefe are more peculiarly denominated papalbriefs, apojlolical briefs, he. The officers in the pope's court, who compofe briefs, are called bre- viators, or rather abbreviators. See the article Abbreviator. A brief differs from a bull, in that the latter is more 3mple and formal, always written on parchment, and fcaled with lead or green wax. Briefs difpatched from the datary or fecretary's office, are fometimes on parchment, and fealed with red wax, ftamped with the annulus pifcatoris, or fifherman's feal, repre- senting St. Peter in his bark in the habit of a fifherman, which is only affixed in the pope's prefence.
Briefs are fubferibed by the fecretarv, not by the pope : on the top is the pope's name, in a line apart, afterwards Dile£io filio falutem & apojlolicam benedi£lioncm, he. After which, without other preamble, it proceeds to a fimple detail of what the pope ispleafed to fignify or grant. Trev. Diet. Univ. T. r. p 1217. voc. Bref Magr. Not. Voc. Ecclef. p. 37. voc. Breve.
Briefs of the dead, Brevia mortuorum, were letters fent by the monks of one monaftery to thofe of another, with whom they were in fraternity, to inform them of the deaths or obits of their monks, for whom they were to fay the ftated and cufto- mary prayers and mafTes.
Thefe were alfo called liters currentes, a formula of which we have in the book of the ufages of the Ciftercian order. Vide Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 615.
Brief of remembrance, Breve recordations, or rememoratorium, or memorabile, denotes a charter, otherwife called noiiiia. Du Cange, ibid. p. 615. See the article Notitia.
BRJG-^, Brigge-^, or Brigh-^, in antient law-writ- ers, fignifies a being freed from contributing to the reparation of bridges. Flet, 1. 1. c. 47. Seld. Tit. of Hon. p. 622. Cow. Interpr. in voc. Du Cange, Gloff. Lat. T. 1. p. 623. See the article Pontage, CycK
The word is formed from the Saxon, brig, a bridge, and bote, compenfation. It is fometimes alio written bru^h-boie 3 -, or bruch-bote b . — [ a Term, de Ley, 4.1 . voc. Brugh-bote. b Cow. Interpr, voc. Bruch-bote.'\
BRIGADE (Cycl.)— Charier gives another etymon of brigade, viz. from the Celtic brig, or briga, which not only fignify a ci- ty, but a company or troop of perfons. In the middle age Latin we alfo meet with brigaia, in the like fenfe with our bri- gade. In the ftatutes of the city of Nancy, it is ufed for run- ning at the ring ; and, in the acts of the faints, for the troop or brigade which each quarter of the city fent out to this exercife. Act. Sand. Maii, T. 1. p. 396. Trev. Diet. Univ, T. .. p. 1242. Aqu'm. Lex.Milit. T. 1. p. 138. Cafeneuv. Orig. Franc, p. 28. voc. Brigans.
Bricade-?«<t/V, in the military art, an officer chofen from among the moft ingenious and expert captains. Brigade-majors are to wait, at proper times, to receive the word and orders which they carry firft to their brigadier, and afterwards to the adjutants of regiments at the head of the brigade, where they regulate together the guards, parties, detachments, and convoys, and appoint them the hour and pla. e of rendezvous at the head of the brigade, where the brigade-major takes and marches them to the place of the general rendezvous. A major of brigade ought to keep a roll of the colonels, lieutenant- colonels, ma- jors,
