(NAT. 1IJ. WILLIAM KDWAKDS, HKH.XJK HUL1>K!I. 271 



This destruction of liis first bridge was doubtless a 

 terrihle blow to the builder, who was bound in sureties 

 to maintain it for a period of seven years. But worse 

 even than the loss of his time and labour was the failure 

 of his work, the most distressing of all things to the man 

 who takes a proper pride in his calling. He resolved, 

 however, to fulfil his contract, and began the building of 

 a second bridge of only one arch, to avoid the defect 

 which had proved the ruin of the first. This second 

 bridge, without piers, was a much more difficult work 

 than the first, in consequence of the wide span of the 

 arch, which was not less than 140 feet, the segment of a 

 circle of 170 feet in diameter. No such extensive span 

 had yet been attempted in England; and even on the 

 Continent, where the science of bridge-building was much 

 1 tetter understood, the only bridges of larger span were of 

 ancient construction, chiefly Roman. Michael Angelo's 

 beautiful bridge of the Bialto, at Venice, was the largest 

 span attempted in modern times, and its width was only 

 about 100 feet. The result of Edwards's daring experi- 

 ment proved its extreme difficulty. He succeeded in 

 finishing the arch, but had not added the parapets, when 

 the tremendous pressure of the masonry over the haunches 

 forced them down, the light crown of the bridge sprang 

 up, the key stones were forced out, and a second time the 

 labour of Edwards was lost, and his masonry lay a ruin 

 at the bottom of the river. Yet not altogether lost : for 

 by failure he learnt experience, dearly bought though it 

 had been. 



The undaunted man determined to try again. Twice 

 lie had failed, yet he was not utterly defeated in resources. 

 He would try a new expedient, and he believed he should 

 eventually succeed. Fortunately his friends believed in 

 him too, for they generously came forward and helped 

 him with the means of building his third bridge, which 

 proved a complete success, and the courage and skill of 

 Edwards were crowned at last. The plan which he 



