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ture of the one material is from that of the 

 other. Many of the wooden bridges in 

 Alpine scenes, with the supports irregularly 

 crossing each other, are universally admired 

 for their wild picturesque character, so well 

 suited to that of the scenery : and even 

 where wooden bridges are executed with 

 great mechanical skill on a regular plan, 

 still a great degree of intricacy, though of 

 a less picturesque kind, must arise from the 

 necessar}^ crossing of the timbers. Intricacy 

 is, therefore, one principal characteristic of 

 wooden bridges, as solidity, and conse- 

 quently a certain degree of massiness, is 

 of stone bridges; for whatever is solidly built 

 of any hard material, however light the ge- 

 neral appearance, must be massy in parts, 

 when compared with that Avhich is formed 

 of wood only, and where the different sup- 

 ports, (whether upright or slanting) together 

 w^ith the pieces which b}^ intersecting tye 

 them together, are all visible. Painters, 

 therefore, when they have wished for that 

 species of intricacy, and for that peculiar 

 lightness of appearance, which arises from 



