The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci (95 page)

1399.

Arrigo is to have 11 gold Ducats. Arrigo is to have 4 gold ducats in
the middle of August.

1400.

Give your master the instance of a captain who does not himself win
the victory, but the soldiers do by his counsels; and so he still
deserves the reward.

1401.

Messer Pier Antonio.

1402.

Oil,—yellow,—Ambrosio,—the mouth, —the farmhouse.

1403.

My dear Alessandro from Parma, by the hand of …

1404.

Giovannina, has a fantastic face,—is at Santa Caterina, at the
Hospital. [Footnote: Compare the text on the same page: No. 667.]

1405.

24 tavole make 1 perch. 4 trabochi make 1 tavola. 4 braccia and a
half make a trabocco. A perch contains 1936 square braccia, or 1944.

1406.

The road of Messer Mariolo is 13 1/4 braccia wide; the House of
Evangelista is 75.

It enters 7 1/2 braccia in the house of Mariolo. [Footnote: On this
page and that which faces it, MS.I2 7la, are two diagrams with
numerous reference numbers, evidently relating to the measurements
of a street.]

1407.

I ask at what part of its curved motion the moving cause will leave
the thing moved and moveable.

Speak to Pietro Monti of these methods of throwing spears.

1408.

Antonio de' Risi is at the council of Justice.

1409.

Paolo said that no machine that moves another …. [Footnote: The
passage, of which the beginning is here given, deals with questions
in mechanics. The instances in which Leonardo quotes the opinions of
his contemporaries on scientific matters are so rare as to be worth
noticing. Compare No. 901. ]

1410.

Caravaggio. [Footnote:
Caravaggio
, a village not far from the Adda
between Milan and Brescia, where Polidoro and Michelangelo da
Caravaggio were born. This note is given in facsimile on Pl. XIII,
No. I (above, to the left). On Pl. XIII, No. 2 above to the right we
read
cerovazo
.]

1411.

Pulleys,—nails,—rope,—mercury,—cloth, Monday.

1412.

Maghino, Speculus of Master Giovanni the Frenchman; Galenus on
utility.

1413.

Near to Cordusio is Pier Antonio da Tossano and his brother
Serafino. [Footnote: This note is written between lines 23 and 24 of
the text No. 710. Corduso, Cordusio (
curia ducis
) = Cordus in the
Milanese dialect, is the name of a Piazza between the Via del
Broletto and the Piazza de' Mercanti at Milan.. In the time of il
Moro it was the centre of the town. The persons here named were
members of the noble Milanese family de'Fossani; Ambrogio da
Possano, the contemporary painter, had no connection with them.]

1414.

Memoranda after 1500 (1414—1434)

1414.

Paul of Vannochio at Siena … The upper chamber for the apostles.

[4] Buildings by Bramante.

The governor of the castle made a prisoner.

[6] Visconti carried away and his son killed. [Footnote 6: Visconti.
Chi fosse quel Visconte non sapremmo indovinare fra tanti di questo
nome. Arluno narra che allora atterrate furono le case de' Viconti,
de' Castiglioni, de' Sanseverini, e de' Botta e non � improbabile
che ne fossero insultati e morti i padroni. Molti Visconti annovera
lo stesso Cronista che per essersi rallegrati del ritorno del duca
in Milano furono da' Francesi arrestati, e strascinati in Francia
come prigionieri di stato; e fra questi Messer Francesco Visconti, e
suo figliuolo Battista
. (AMORETTI, Mem. Stor. XIX.).]

Giovanni della Rosa deprived of his money.

Borgonzio began ….; and moreover his fortunes fled. [Footnote 8:
Borgonzio o Brugonzio Botta fu regolatore delle ducali entrate sotto
il Moro, alla cui fuga la casa sua fu pur messa a sacco da'
partitanti francesi. (AMORETTI, l. c.)]

The Duke has lost the state, property and liberty and none of his
entreprises was carried out by him.

[Footnote: l. 4—10 This passage evidently refers to events in Milan
at the time of the overthrow of Ludovico il Moro. Amoretti published
it in the '
Memorie Storiche
' and added copious notes.]

1415.

Ambrosio Petri, St. Mark, 4 boards for the window, 2 …, 3 the
saints of chapels, 5 the Genoese at home.

1416.

Piece of tapestry,—pair of compasses,— Tommaso's book,—the book
of Giovanni Benci,—the box in the custom-house,—to cut the
cloth,—the sword-belt,—to sole the boots, —a light hat,—the cane
from the ruined houses,—the debt for the table linen,
—swimming-belt,—a book of white paper for drawing,—charcoal.—How
much is a florin …., a leather bodice.

1417.

Borges shall get for you the Archimedes from the bishop of Padua,
and Vitellozzo the one from Borgo a San Sepolcro [Footnote 3: Borgo
a San Sepolcro, where Luca Paciolo, Leonardo's friend, was born.]

[Footnote: Borges. A Spanish name.]

1418.

Marzocco's tablet.

1419.

Marcello lives in the house of Giacomo da Mengardino.

1420.

Where is Valentino?—boots,—boxes in the
custom-house,…,—[Footnote 5: Carmine. A church and monastery at
Florence.] the monk at the Carmine,—squares,—[Footnotes 7 and 8:
Martelli, Borgherini; names of Florentine families. See No. 4.]
Piero Martelli,—[8] Salvi Borgherini,—send back the bags,—a
support for the spectacles,—[Footnote 11: San Gallo; possibly
Giuliano da San Gallo, the Florentine architect.] the nude study of
San Gallo,—the cloak. Porphyry,—groups,—square,—[Footnote 16:
Pandolfini, see No. 1544 note.] Pandolfino. [Footnote: Valentino.
Cesare Borgia is probably meant. After being made Archbishop of
Valence by Alexander VI he was commonly called Valentinus or
Valentino. With reference to Leonardo's engagements by him see pp.
224 and 243, note.]

1421.

Concave mirrors; philosophy of Aristotle;[Footnote 2:
Avicenna
(Leonardo here writes it Avinega) the Arab philosopher, 980-1037,
for centuries the unimpeachable authority on all medical questions.
Leonardo possibly points here to a printed edition:
Avicennae
canonum libri V, latine
1476
Patavis.
Other editions are, Padua
1479, and Venice 1490.] the books of Avicenna Italian and Latin
vocabulary; Messer Ottaviano Palavicino or his Vitruvius [Footnote
3:
Vitruvius.
See Vol. I, No. 343 note.]. bohemian knives;
Vitruvius[Footnote 6:
Vitruvius.
See Vol. I, No. 343 note.]; go
every Saturday to the hot bath where you will see naked men;

'Meteora' [Footnote 7:
Meteora.
See No. 1448, 25.],

Archimedes, on the centre of gravity; [Footnote 9: The works of
Archimedes were not printed during Leonardo's life-time.] anatomy
[Footnote 10: Compare No. 1494.] Alessandro Benedetto; The Dante of
Niccolo della Croce; Inflate the lungs of a pig and observe whether
they increase in width and in length, or in width diminishing in
length.

[Footnote 14:
Johannes Marliani sua etate philosophorum et
medicorum principis et ducalis phisic. primi de proportione motuum
velocitate questio subtilissima incipit ex ejusdem Marliani
originali feliciter extracta, M(ilano)
1482.

Another work by him has the title:
Marlianus mediolanensis. Questio
de caliditate corporum humanorum tempore hiemis ed estatis et de
antiparistasi ad celebrem philosophorum et medicorum universitatem
ticinensem.
1474.] Marliano, on Calculation, to Bertuccio.
Albertus, on heaven and earth [Footnote 15: See No. 1469, 1. 7.],
[from the monk Bernardino]. Horace has written on the movements of
the heavens.

[Footnote:
Filosofia d'Aristotele
see No. 1481 note.]

1422.

Of the three regular bodies as opposed to some commentators who
disparage the Ancients, who were the originators of grammar and the
sciences and …

1423.

The room in the tower of Vaneri.

[Footnote: This note is written inside the sketch of a plan of a
house. On the same page is the date 1513 (see No. 1376).]

1424.

The figures you will have to reserve for the last book on shadows
that they may appear in the study of Gerardo the illuminator at San
Marco at Florence.

[Go to see Melzo, and the Ambassador, and Maestro Bernardo].

[Footnote: L. 1-3 are in the original written between lines 3 and 4
of No. 292. But the sense is not clear in this connection. It is
scarcely possible to devine the meaning of the following sentence.

2. 3.
Gherardo
Miniatore, a famous illuminator, 1445-1497, to whom
Vasari dedicated a section of his Lives (Vol. II pp. 237-243, ed.
Sansoni 1879).

5.
Bernardo
, possibly the painter Bernardo Zenale.]

1425.

Hermes the philosopher.

1426.

Suisset, viz. calculator,—Tisber, —Angelo Fossobron,—Alberto.

1427.

The structure of the drawbridge shown me by Donnino, and why
c
and
d
thrust downwards.

[Footnote: The sketch on the same page as this text represents two
poles one across the other. At the ends of the longest are the
letter
c
and
d
. The sense of the passage is not rendered any
clearer.]

1428.

The great bird will take its first flight;— on the back of his
great swan,—filling the universe with wonders; filling all writings
with his fame and bringing eternal glory to his birthplace.

[Footnote: This seems to be a speculation about the flying machine
(compare p. 271).]

1429.

This stratagem was used by the Gauls against the Romans, and so
great a mortality ensued that all Rome was dressed in mourning.

[Footnote: Leonardo perhaps alludes to the Gauls under Brennus, who
laid his sword in the scale when the tribute was weighed.]

1430.

Alberto da Imola;—Algebra, that is, the demonstration of the
equality of one thing to another.

1431.

Johannes Rubicissa e Robbia.

1432.

Ask the wife of Biagio Crivelli how the capon nurtures and hatches
the eggs of the hen,—he being drunk.

1433.

The book on Water to Messer Marco Antonio.

[Footnote: Possibly Marc-Antonio della Torre, see p. 97.]

1434.

Have Avicenna's work on useful inventions translated; spectacles
with the case, steel and fork and…., charcoal, boards, and paper,
and chalk and white, and wax;…. …. for glass, a saw for bones
with fine teeth, a chisel, inkstand …….. three herbs, and Agnolo
Benedetto. Get a skull, nut,—mustard.

Boots,—gloves, socks, combs, papers, towels, shirts,….
shoe-tapes,—….. shoes, penknife, pens. A skin for the chest.

[Footnote: 4. Lapis. Compare Condivi,
Vita di Michelagnolo
Buonarotti
, Chap. XVIII.:
Ma egli
(Michelangelo)
non avendo che
mostrare, prese una penna (percioche in quel tempo il lapis non era
in uso) e con tal leggiadria gli dipinse una mano ecc.
The incident
is of the year l496.—Lapis means pencil, and chalk (
matita
).
Between lines 7 and 8 are the texts given as Nos. 819 and No. 7.]

Undated memoranda (1435-1457).

1435.

The book of Piero Crescenze,—studies from the nude by Giovanni
Ambrosio,—compasses, —the book of Giovanni Giacomo.

1436.

To make some provisions for my garden, —Giordano,
De
Ponderibus
[Footnote 3:
Giordano
. Jordanus Nemorarius, a
mathematician of the beginning of the XIIIth century. No particulars
of his life are known. The title of his principal work is:
Arithmetica decem libris demonstrata
, first published at Paris
1496. In 1523 appeared at Nuremberg:
Liber Jordani Nemorarii de
ponderibus, propositiones XIII et earundem demonstrationes,
multarumque rerum rationes sane pulcherrimas complectens, nunc in
lucem editus.
],—the peacemaker, the flow and ebb of the sea,—have
two baggage trunks made, look to Beltraffio's [Footnote 6:
Beltraffio
, see No. 465, note 2.

There are sketches by the side of lines 8 and 10.] lathe and have
taken the stone,—out leave the books belonging to Messer Andrea the
German,— make scales of a long reed and weigh the substance when
hot and again when cold. The mirror of Master Luigi;
A b
the flow
and ebb of the water is shown at the mill of Vaprio,—a cap.

1437.

Giovanni Fabre,—Lazaro del Volpe,— the common,—Ser Piero.

[Footnote: These names are inserted on a plan of plots of land
adjoining the Arno.]

1438.

[Lactantius], [the book of Benozzo], groups,—to bind the book,—a
lantern,—Ser Pecantino,—Pandolfino.—[Rosso]—a square, —small
knives,—carriages,—curry combs— cup.

1439.

Quadrant of Carlo Marmocchi,—Messer Francesco Araldo,—Ser
Benedetto d'Accie perello,—Benedetto on arithmetic,—Maestro Paulo,
physician,—Domenico di Michelino,— …… of the Alberti,—Messer
Giovanni Argimboldi.

1440.

Colours, formula,—Archimedes,—Marcantonio.

Tinned iron,—pierced iron.

1441.

See the shop that was formerly Bartolommeo's, the stationer.

[Footnote: 6.
Marc Antonio
, see No. 1433.]

1442.

The first book is by Michele di Francesco Nabini; it treats on
science.

1443.

Messer Francesco, physician of Lucca, with the Cardinal Farnese.

[Footnote:
Alessandro Farnese
, afterwards Pope Paul III was
created in 1493 Cardinal di San Cosimo e San Damiano, by Alexander
VI.]

1444.

Pandolfino's book [Footnote 1:
Pandolfino, Agnolo
, of Florence. It
is to this day doubtful whether he or L. B. Alberti was the author
of the famous work '
Del Governo della Famiglia
'. It is the more
probable that Leonardo should have meant this work by the words
il
libro
, because no other book is known to have been written by
Pandolfino. This being the case this allusion of Leonardo's is an
important evidence in favour of Pandolfino's authorship (compare No.
1454, line 3).],—knives,—a pen for ruling,—to have the vest
dyed,—The library at St.-Mark's,—The library at Santo
Spirito,—Lactantius of the Daldi [Footnote 7: The works of
Lactantius were published very often in Italy during Leonardo's
lifetime. The first edition published in 1465 "
in monastero
sublacensi
" was also the first book printed in Italy.],—Antonio
Covoni,—A book by Maestro Paolo Infermieri, —Boots, shoes and
hose,—(Shell)lac, —An apprentice to do the models for me. Grammar,
by Lorenzo de Medici,—Giovanni del Sodo,—Sansovino, [Footnote 15:
Sansovino
, Andrea—the
sculptor
; 1460-1529.]—a ruler,—a very
sharp knife,—Spectacles,—fractions….,
—repair………,—Tomaso's book,— Michelagnolo's little chain;
Learn the multiplication of roots from Maestro Luca;—my map of the
world which Giovanni Benci has [Footnote 25: Leonardo here probably
alludes to the map, not executed by him (See p. 224), which is with
the collection of his MSS. at Windsor, and was published in the
Archaeologia
Vol. XI (see p. 224).];-Socks,—clothes from the
customhouse-officier,—Red Cordova leather,—The map of the world,
of Giovanni Benci,—a print, the districts about Milan—Market book.