ing from the abutments towards the centre of the bridge. There are also diagonal iron bars, which are laid on the tops of the ribs, and extended to the abutments to keep the ribs from twisting. The superstructure is a strong frame of timber, planked over to support the carriage-road, which is composed of marl, lime-stone, and gravel, with a cement of tar and chalk immediately upon the planks, to preserve them. The whole width of the bridge is 32 feet. The abutments are masses of almost solid masonry, 24 feet in thickness, 42 in breadth at bottom, and 57 at top. The south pier is founded on the solid rock, and rises from about 22 feet above the bed of the river. On the north side the ground was not so favourable, so that it was necessary to carry the foundation 10 feet below the bed. The weight of the iron in this extraordinary fabric amounts to 260 tons; 46 of these are malleable, and 214 cast. The entire expense was 27,000l.

The splendid example of the bridge at Wearmouth gave an impulse to public taste, and caused an emulation among artists, which has produced many examples, and more projects of iron bridges. The Coalbrook Dale Company have constructed several, among which is a very neat one over the river Parrot, at Bridgewater. Mr. Wilson, the engineer, employed by Mr. Burdon, has also built several, and some years since finished a very elegant one over the river Thames, at Staines, which is by far the most complete in design, as well as the best executed, of any that has hitherto been erected. This bridge consists of a single arch, 181 feet in span, and 16 feet 6 inches in rise, being a segment of a circle of 480 feet. The blocks, of which the ribs are composed, are similar to those in the Wearmouth bridge, except that these have only two concentric arcs instead of three, as at the latter. The arcs are cast hollow, and the block connected by means of dowels and keys; thus obviating the great defect observed at Wearmouth, of having so much hammered iron exposed to the action of the air. Four ribs form the width of the arch, which are connected together by cross frames. The spandrels is filled in with circles, which support a covering of iron plates an inch thick on this is laid the roadway 27 feet wide, Two hundred and seventy tons is the weight of the iron employed in the bridge, and three hundred and thirty of the road-way.

Public bridges, which are of general

conveniency, are of common right to be repaired by the inhabitants of that county in which they lie. Where a man makes a bridge for the common good of the King's subjects, he is not bound to repair it. No one can be compelled to build, or contribute to the charges of building any new bridge, without act of parliament: and if none are bounden to repair by tenure of prescription at common law, then the whole county or franchise shall repair it.

BRIDGES, pendent or hanging, called also philosophical bridges, are those not supported by posts or pillars, but hung at large in the air, sustained only at the two ends or butments.

BRIDGE, draw, one that is fastened with hinges at one end only, so that the other may be drawn up; in which case the bridge stands upright, to hinder the passage of a ditch or moat.

BRIDGE, flying or floating, is generally made of two small bridges, laid one over the other in such a manner, that the uppermost stretches and runs out, by help of cer tain cords, running through pullies placed along the sides of the under bridge, which push it forwards, till the end of it joins the place it is intended to be fixed on.

BRIDGE of boats, boats made of copper, and joined side by side, till they reach across a river, which being covered with planks, are fastened with stakes or anchors.

BRIDGE of communication, is that made over a river, by which two armies, or forts, which are separated by that river, have a free communication with one another.

BRIDGE, floating, a bridge made use of, in form of a work in fortification, called a redoubt, consisting of two boats, covered with planks, which are solidly framed, so as to bear either horse or cannon.

BRIDGE, in gunnery, the two pieces of timber which go between the two transums of a gun carriage, on which the bed rest.

BRIDGE, in music, a term for that part of a stringed instrument over which the strings are stretched. The bridge of a violin is about one inch and a quarter high, and near an inch and a half long.

BRIEF, in common-law, a writ whereby a man is summoned or attached to answer

any action. It is called brief, because it is couched in a few words, without any preamble. Brief is also used for a writing issued out of any of the king's courts of record at Westminster, whereby something is commanded to be done, in order to justice, or the execution of the king's command.

BRIEF is also taken for a letter patent, granting a licence to a subject to make 'collection for any public or private loss, as briefs for loss by fire, to be read by ministers in churches, &c. These briefs must be read in all churches and chapels, within two months after receipt thereof; and the sums thereby collected shall be paid over to the undertaker of briefs, within six months after the delivery of the briefs, under penalty of 201.

BRIEF is likewise an abridgement of a client's case, wrote out for the instruction of counsel, on a trial at law.

BRIEFS, apostolical, letters which the pope dispatches to princes, or other magistrates, relating to any public affair. These briefs are distinguished from bulls, in this respect the latter are more ample, and always written on parchment, and sealed with lead or green wax; whereas briefs are very concise, written on paper, sealed with red wax, and with the seal of the fisherman, or St. Peter in a boat.

BRIG. See BRIGANTINE,

BRIGADE, in the military art, a party or division of a body of soldiers, whether horse or foot, under the command of a brigadier, An army is divided into brigades of horse and brigades of foot: a brigade of horse is a body of eight or ten squadrons ; a brigade of foot consists of four, five, or six battalions. The eldest brigade has the right of the first line, and the second the right of the second, and the two next take the left of the two lines, and the youngest stand in the centre.

BRIGADE major is an officer appointed by the brigadier, to assist him in the management and ordering of his brigade.

BRIGADIER is the general officer who has the command of a brigade. The eldest colonels are generally advanced to this post. He that is upon duty is brigadier of the day. They march at the head of their own brigades, and are allowed a serjeant and ten men, of their own brigade for their guard.

BRIGANTINE, a small light vessel, which can both row and sail well, and is either for fighting or giving chace. It has about twelve or fifteen benches for the rowers, one man to a bench; all the hands aboard are soldiers, and each man has his musquet lying ready under his oar.

BRIGGS (HENRY), in biography, a very considerable mathematician, born near Halifax, Yorkshire, in 1656; and in 1579 having attained a good share of gramatical knowledge, he went to St. John's College,

Cambridge, where he took his degrees in regular order, and in 1588 was chosen fellow of his college. The bent of his mind was to the mathematics, in which he made so great and rapid a progress, that in 1599 he was appointed examiner and lecturer in that branch of science. In 1596 he was elected to the first professorship of geometry at Gresham College; he constructed a table for finding the latitude, from the variation of the magnetic needle being given. About the year 1609 he contracted an acquaintance with Mr. Usher, afterwards Archbishop of Armagh, and in correspondence with him, he mentions his employment upon the calculation of eclipses, and soon after writes that he is wholly engaged about the noble invention of logarithms, which had just made their appearance, and in the improvement of which be afterwards had so great a concern. On this subject he delivered various lectures at Gresham College, and proposed to alter the scale from the hyperbolic form which Napier had given them, to that in which 1 should be the logarithm of the ratio of 10 to 1. In 1616 Briggs made a visit to Napier at Edinburgh, and communicated to him his wishes. The alteration was agreed upon, and in 1617 he published his first 1000 of logarithms. He succeeded in 1619 to the Savilian professorship of geometry at Oxford, upon which he resigned the duties of Gresham College. Here he devoted himself most sedulously to his studies, and published many works connected with the higher branches of mathematics. His "Arithmetica Logarithmica" was printed in 1624; it contained the logarithms of 30,000 natural numbers to 14 places of figures, besides the index. He completed a table of logarithmic sines and tangents for the 100th part of every degree to 14 places; with a table of natural sines, tangents, and secants, with the construction of the whole. These tables were printed under the title of Trigonometria Britannica. "In the construction of these two works," says one of Mr. Briggs's biographers, "on the Logarithms of Numbers, and of Sines and Tangents, our author, besides extreme labour and application, manifests the highest powers of genius and invention; as we here for the first time meet with several of the most important discoveries in the mathematics, and what have hitherto been considered as of much later invention; such as the Binomial Theorem n; the Differential Method and Con

struction of Tables by Differences; the Interpolation of Differences, with Angular Sections, and several other ingenious compositions."

This great man died at Oxford in 1630, and was buried in the Chapel of Merton College, highly respected by his contemporaries, by many of whom his character was drawn with great ability: by Oughtred he is designated as the mirror of the age for his great skill in geometry: the learned Barrow extols his ability, skill, and industry, particularly in perfecting the invention of logarithms, which without his care, might have continued an imperfect and useless design. Dr. Smith represents him as easy of access to all, free from arrogance, moroseness, envy, ambition, and avarice, a contemner of riches, and contented in his own situation; preferring a studious retirement to all the splendid circumstances of life.

BRIMSTONE. See SULPHUR. Casts of medals have been taken off on a composition of which the chief ingredient is sulphur, and hence they are called sulphur casts. By this means the most curious antiques may, to all useful purposes, be indefinitely multiplied. The composition is thus described: melt eight ounces of sulphur over a gentle fire, and with it mix an equal quantity of fine vermillion, stir it well together, and it will dissolve like oil, then cast it into the mould, which is first to be rubbed over with oil. When cool the figure may be taken, and, touched over with aquafortis, it will look like fine coral.

BRIONIA alba, a root used in medicine, which has been long known to contain a considerable portion of starch, and a bitter principle soluble in water and alcohol. It has lately been examined by the French chemists by maceration, the starch was separated and obtained in a state of purity. The bitter principle appeared to possess the properties in a very pure state. It was also found to contain a considerable portion of gum, which is precipitated by the infusion of galls, and which Vauquelin denominates vegeto-animal matter, some woody fibre, a small portion of sugar, and a quantity of supermalate of lime, and phosphate of lime.

BRISTLE, a rigid glossy kind of hair, found on swine, and much used by brushmakers, shoe-makers, sadlers, and others. They are chiefly imported from Russia and Poland. There is a heavy duty upon these. BRITTLENESS, a quality of certain bodies, by which they are subjected to be

easily broken by pressure or percussion. Brittle bodies are extremely hard; a very small percussion exerts a force on them equivalent to the greatest pressure, and thus they are easily broken. This effect is particularly remarkable in glass suddenly cooled, the brittleness of which thereby is much increased. In the new arrangement of chemistry, the metals are distinguished into those that are more or less brittle as one of their leading characteristics.

BRIZA, in botany, a genus of the Triandria Digynia. Natural order of Gramina or Grasses. Essential character: calyx bivalve, many flowered; spikelet distinct, with heart-shaped obtuse valves, the lower of which is minute. There are six species, briza minor, small quaking grass, is an annual according to Linnæus and Villars: by Fludson, and in the Kew Catalogue it is marked as perennial. The culms are about a foot and a half in height; and the panicles are very much branched. Native of Germany, Switzerland, the South of France, Italy, and Britain. It flowers from June to August. B. media has a perennial root; culm upright, six or seven inches high in a dry soil, but in wet places it rises to two or three feet, having four or five knots on it. The panicle is handsome, spreads very much when in flower, and has two spikelets on each branch, placed on such long slender pedicles, as to shake with the least air or motion; each spikelet is composed of seven, eight, or nine florets, is heart-shaped, flatted, shining, smooth, varying in colours, usually variegated with green, white and purple. This beautiful grass is common in dry pastures in most parts of Europe. It flowers from May to July.

BROADSIDE, in the sea-language, denotes a volley of cannon, or a general discharge of all the guns on one side of a ship

at once.

BROCADE, a stuff of gold, silver, or silk, raised and enriched with flowers, foliages, and other ornaments, according to the fancy of the merchants, or manufacturers.

BROCCOLI, a kind of cabbage cultivated for the use of the table. See BRASSICA.

BROKER, a name given to persons of several and very different professions, the chief of which are exchange-brokers, stockbrokers, pawn-brokers, and brokers, simply so called, who sell household furniture, and second-hand apparel.

BROKERS, exchange, are a sort of negotiators who contrive, make, and conclude

bargains between merchants and tradesmen, in matters of money or merchandize, for which they have a fee or premium. See EXCHANGE.

BROKERS, insurance or policy, are agents who transact the business of insurance between the merchant or party insured and the underwriters or insurers. These insurance brokers, from the nature of their employment, ought to be, and indeed generally are, persons of respectability and honour, in whom unlimited confidence may be reposed. To the broker the merchant . looks for the regularity of the contract, and a proper selection of responsible underwriters and to him also the underwriters look for a fair and candid disclosure of all material circumstances affecting the risk, and for the payment of their premiums. There is usually an open account between each broker and every underwriter with whom he has much dealing. In this account the broker makes himself debtor to the underwriter for all premiums, and takes credit for all losses to which the underwriter is liable, and which the broker is authorised to receive. Indeed, it is generally understood, that by the usage of trade in London, the underwriters give credit only to the broker for their premiums, and can resort only to him for payment, and that he alone, and not the underwriters, can recover the premiums from the insured. This point, however, has never been settled by any judicial determination. But though the underwriter thus looks to the broker for his premium, and though the broker, in his account with the underwriter, takes credit for the losses and returns for premiums, which, he is authorised to receive from the underwriter, yet such losses are not to be regarded as a debt from the underwriter to the broker. Where the merchant happens to reside at a distance from the place where he means to be insured, the policy is usually affected by the mediation of his agent or correspondent there, who, if he be not a broker, employs one, and gives him all necessary instructions. In order to his being an agent in such a case, he must either have express directions from the principal to cause the insurance to be made, or else it must be a duty arising from the nature of his correspondence with the principal. And no general authority which he may have in relation to a ship or goods will make him an agent for the purpose of insuring, on behalf of the parties interested. However, though one man

cannot, in general, compel another against his consent to become an agent for procuring an insurance to be effected for him, there are three cases, in which an order to insure must be complied with: as, first, where an agent has effects of his principal in his hands; secondly, where he has been in the practice of making insurances, and has given no notice to discontinue; and, thirdly, where he accepts bills of lading sent him on condition to insure. To the office of agent or broker, great responsibility attaches; and, in the execution of it, it is the duty of each to conduct himself with the greatest fidelity, punctuality, and circumspection. For in this, as in all other cases, where a man, either by an express or implied undertaking, engages to do an act for another, and he either wholly neglects to do it, or does it improperly or unskilfully, an action on the case will lie against him to recover a satisfaction for the loss or damage resulting from his negligence or want of skill. Hence, if a merchant here accept an order from his correspondent abroad to cause an insurance to be made, but limits the broker to too small a premium, in consequence of which no insurance can be effected, he is liable to make good the loss to his correspondent; for though it is his duty to get the insurance done at as low a premium as possible, yet he has no right so to limit the premium, as to prevent the insurance from being effected. And even a voluntary agent, who has no prospect of remuneration for his trouble, is liable, provided that he takes any step in the business. It is not only the duty of the agent, in transacting the business of insurances, to conduct himself with fidelity and punctuality towards his employer, but he is also bound to observe the strictest veracity and candour towards the insurer: for any fraud or concealment on his part will make void the policy, even though the insured be altogether ignorant and innocent respecting it. In an action against an agent or broker, whether for negligence or unskilfulness in effecting an insurance, the plaintiff is enti. tled to recover to the same amount as he might have recovered against the underwriters, if the policy had been properly ef fected. But he can only recover what, in point of law, he might have recovered on the policy; and not what the indulgence or liberality of the underwriters might probably have induced them to pay. In such an action, the agent may avail himself of every defence, such as fraud, deviation, non-com

pliance with warranties, &c. which the underwriters might have set up in an action on the policy: but if the agent act in the usual manner, it will be deemed sufficient. There are many reasons why an agent or broker ought not to be an insurer. He becomes too much interested to settle with fairness the rate of premium, the amount of partial losses, &c.; and though he should not himself occasion any unnecessary delay or obstacle to the payment of a loss, he will not be over anxious to remove the doubts of others: besides, he ought not, by underwriting the policy, to deprive the parties of his unbiassed testimony in case of dispute. If an agent or broker, meaning to appropriate the premium to himself, and take the chance of a safe arrival, represent to his employer, that an insurance has been effected agreeably to his instructions, the principal may maintain trover for the policy against the agent or broker; and, upon proof of a loss, he shall recover to the same amount as he would have been entitled to recover against the underwriters, if a policy had been effected.

BROKERS, stock, are those employed to buy and sell shares in the joint stock of a company or corporation, and also in the public funds. The negotiations, &c. of these brokers are regulated by several sta tutes, which, among other things, enact, that contracts in the nature of wages, &c. incur a penalty of 500l.; and by the sale of stock, of which the seller is not possessed, and which he does not transfer, a forfeit of 1007.; and contracts for sale of any stock, of which the contractors are not actually possessed, or to which they are not entitled, are void, and the parties agreeing to sell, &c. incur a penalty of 500l.; and that brokers keep a book, in which all contracts, with their dates and the names of the parties concerned, shall be entered, on pain of 501.: these enactments, however, are little regarded by the gamblers in the public funds.

BROKERS, pawn, are persons who keep shops, and let out money to necessitous people upon pledges, for the most part on exorbitant interest. These are more properly called pawn-takers, or tally-men, sometimes fripers, or friperers. Of these is to be understood the statute of 1 Jac. I. c. 21, by which it is enacted, that the sale of goods, wrongfully gotten, to any broker in London, Westminster, Southwark, or within two miles of London, shall not alter the property thereof. If a broker, having

received such goods, shall not, upon the request of the right owner, truly discover them, how and when he came by them, and to whom they are conveyed, he shall forfeit the double value thereof to the said owner. But there are several excellent regulations respecting pawn-brokers of later date. BROKERAGE, the fee paid to a broker for his trouble in negociating business between person and person.

BROMELIA, in botany, so named in memory of Olaus Bromel, a Swede, a genus of the Hexandria Monogynia class and order. Natural order of Coronaria. Bromeliæ, Jussieu. Essential character: calyx trifid, superior; petals three, and a nectareous scale at the base of each; berry three-celled. There are nine species, one of which, B. ananas, or pine-apple, is a fruit now so well known in Europe, and so much esteemed for the richness of its flavour, is produced from an herbaceous plant which has leaves somewhat resembling those of aloe, and for the most part serrate on their edges, but much thinner and not so succulent as those of the aloe. The fruit resembles, in shape, the cone of some species of the pine-tree, from which it takes the vulgar name of pine-apple.

Where this plant is a native is difficult to determine, but it is probably an indigenous plant of Africa, where it grows in uncultivated places in great plenty. There are many varieties of this fruit, and if the seeds were sown frequently in their native country the varieties would probably be as numerous as those of apples and pears in Europe. The queen pine is the most common, but the sugar loaf is much preferable, the fruit being larger and better flavoured; it is easily distinguished from the others by its leaves having purple stripes on their inside the whole length, it is also of a paler colour when ripe, inclining to straw colour. This was brought from Brazil to Jamaica, where it is esteemed far beyond the others. The smooth pine is preserved by some curious persons for the sake of variety, but the fruit is not worth eating. The green pine is at present the most rare in Europe, it has been esteemed the best sort known by some of the most curious persons in America, many of whom have thrown out all the others to cultivate this only.

Those who wish to understand the propagation and culture of the pine-apple may consult Martyn's Botanical Dictionary with much advantage.

BROMUS, in botany, a genus of the