The history and antiquities of the city of Bristol; . efled on each fide of it, that it had the appearance of a dark,narrow ftreet. Thefe, which were let at very high and advantageous rents,in reality did not confine the pafTage, or make the bridge any narrower thanit was at firft ; for the whole breadth of the bridge was in the road, and asfoon as you ftcpt into any of the houfcs that hung, as it were, between thebridge and the fecondary arches, you were immediately on a floor of timbersand over the water, their ends reHing on the bridge and fecondary arches, which were C 80 ] were Gothic, ve
The history and antiquities of the city of Bristol; . efled on each fide of it, that it had the appearance of a dark,narrow ftreet. Thefe, which were let at very high and advantageous rents,in reality did not confine the pafTage, or make the bridge any narrower thanit was at firft ; for the whole breadth of the bridge was in the road, and asfoon as you ftcpt into any of the houfcs that hung, as it were, between thebridge and the fecondary arches, you were immediately on a floor of timbersand over the water, their ends reHing on the bridge and fecondary arches, which were C 80 ] were Gothic, very (lender, and not fo compaft nor fo well turned as the real,primary, femicircular arches of the bridge itfelf, and hardly fufficient to bearInch a weight of lofty buildings, preffing unequally upon them. But no wordscan give the reader fo jufl an idea of Briflol biidge as a view of the followingdraught of it, which M-as made in 1760, at the time it was about to be takendown, which being courfe reprefents to the eye more truly the appearance of This bridge, when naked and unincumbered with houfes, (which wereafterwards eretled tliercon by turning fecondary Gothic arches oppofite theold ones, for a foundation for one end of the buildings to reft upon,) con-fiRed of four neat, ftrong, femicircular arches, the paftage over it being onlynineteen feet wide, which mud have had a parapet wall at the fides before thehoufes were erc8;ed, to fecure people from falling over into the river. There was great folcmnity ufed and public joy difplayed * on the firft ope-ning of Eriftol bridge: all joined in celebrating this great event, being wellapprized of its extenfive utility. Their care in preferving it afterwards wasequal to their diligence and eagernefs in ercQing it. t Wheel carriages laden * Tlic ceremony and joy faid to be difplayed on this occafion, with the fongs to St. Baldwinand St. Warburgh, arc dcfcribed already and publiflicd, p. 433. of Rowleys Poems by DeanMillcs, to whi
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Keywords: ., bo, bookcentury1700, bookdecade1780, bookidhistoryantiquiti00barr
