279 



such as give relief to the whole, but do not 

 break the continuity of its outline, the eye 

 moves easily and rapidly along from arch to 

 arch, till it reaches the opposite side : but 

 that ideal motion, with the lightness which 

 attends it is gone, whenever the eye is stop- 

 ped and checked in its progress by project- 

 ing parts. A\ here such projections create 

 any grand, or picturesque effect, they com- 

 pensate the want of lightness ; and in re- 

 ality cannot be said to injure, but to change 

 the character of the object. In other cases 

 they merely injure it; and of this, in my 

 mind, there cannot be a more glaring exam- 

 ple, than in the columns of Blackfriar's 

 Bridge, considering them solely on the prin- 

 ciple which I have just been discussing : 

 but indeed it appears to me, that, in gene- 

 ral, columns are ill suited to bridges, as they 

 can hardly be made essential parts of them; 

 and it is an acknowledged maxim, that what 

 is ornamental, should, if possible, appear to 

 answer some purpose of utility. Where, in- 

 deed, ornaments are trivial in size and con- 

 iiequence, though beautiflil in form, such as 



