The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete
of so great an effect, it is necessary to describe with accuracy the
nature of the place; and by this means I can afterwards easily
satisfy your above-mentioned request. [Footnote 62: This passage was
evidently intended as an improvement on that immediately preceding
it. The purport of both is essentially the same, but the first is
pitched in a key of ill-disguised annoyance which is absent from the
second. I do not see how these two versions can be reconciled with
the romance-theory held by Prof. Govi.]
I will pass over any description of the form of Asia Minor, or as to
what seas or lands form the limits of its outline and extent,
because I know that by your own diligence and carefulness in your
studies you have not remained in ignorance of these matters [*65];
and I will go on to describe the true form of the Taurus Mountain
which is the cause of this stupendous and harmful marvel, and which
will serve to advance us in our purpose [*66]. This Taurus is that
mountain which, with many others is said to be the ridge of Mount
Caucasus; but wishing to be very clear about it, I desired to speak
to some of the inhabitants of the shores of the Caspian sea, who
give evidence that this must be the true Caucasus, and that though
their mountains bear the same name, yet these are higher; and to
confirm this in the Scythian tongue Caucasus means a very high
[Footnote 68: Caucasus; Herodot *Kaoxaais; Armen. Kaukaz.] peak, and
in fact we have no information of there being, in the East or in the
West, any mountain so high. And the proof of this is that the
inhabitants of the countries to the West see the rays of the sun
illuminating a great part of its summit for as much as a quarter of
the longest night. And in the same way, in those countries which lie
to the East.
OF THE STRUCTURE AND SIZE OF MOUNT TAURUS.
[Footnote 73: The statements are of course founded on those of the
'inhabitants' spoken of in 1. 67.] The shadow of this ridge of the
Taurus is of such a height that when, in the middle of June, the Sun
is at its meridian, its
*him to write immediately and fully on the subject mentioned in line
43.
*73-75. [Footnote 75: The statements are of course founded on those
of the 'inhabitants' spoken of in 1. 67.]
shadow extends as far as the borders of Sarmatia, twelve days off;
and in the middle of December it extends as far as the Hyperborean
mountains, which are at a month's journey to the North [*75]. And
the side which faces the wind is always free from clouds and mists,
because the wind which is parted in beating on the rock, closes
again on the further side of that rock, and in its motion carries
with it the clouds from all quarters and leaves them where it
strikes. And it is always full of thunderbolts from the great
quantity of clouds which accumulate there, whence the rock is all
riven and full of huge debris [Footnote 77: Sudden storms are
equally common on the heights of Ararat. It is hardly necessary to
observe that Ararat cannot be meant here. Its summit is formed like
the crater of Vesuvius. The peaks sketched on Pl. CXVI-CXVIII are
probably views of the same mountain, taken from different sides.
Near the solitary peak, Pl. CXVIII these three names are written
_goba, arnigasar, caruda_, names most likely of different peaks. Pl.
CXVI and CXVII are in the original on a single sheet folded down the
middle, 30 centimetres high and 43 1/2 wide. On the reverse of one
half of the sheet are notes on _peso_ and _bilancia_ (weight and
balance), on the other are the 'prophecies' printed under Nos. 1293
and 1294. It is evident from the arrangement that these were written
subsequently, on the space which had been left blank. These pages
are facsimiled on Pl. CXVIII. In Pl. CXVI-CXVIII the size is smaller
than in the original; the map of Armenia, Pl. CXVIII, is on Pl. CXIX
slightly enlarged. On this map we find the following names,
beginning from the right hand at the top: _pariardes mo_ (for
Paryadres Mons, Arm. Parchar, now Barchal or Kolai Dagh; Trebizond
is on its slope).
_Aquilone_ --North, _Antitaurus Antitaurus \\\\* psis mo_ (probably
meant for Thospitis = Lake Van, Arm. Dgov Vanai, Tospoi, and the
Mountain range to the South); _Gordis mo_ (Mountains of Gordyaea),
the birth place of the Tigris; _Oriente_ --East; _Tigris_, and then,
to the left, _Eufrates_. Then, above to the left _Argeo mo_ (now
Erdshigas, an extinct volcano, 12000 feet high); _Celeno mo_ (no
doubt Sultan Dagh in Pisidia). Celeno is the Greek town of
*KeAouvat-- see Arian I, 29, I--now the ruins of Dineir); _oriente_
--East; _africo libezco_ (for libeccio--South West). In the middle
of the Euphrates river on this small map we see a shaded portion
surrounded by mountains, perhaps to indicate the inundation
mentioned in l. 35. The affluent to the Euphrates shown as coming
with many windings from the high land of 'Argeo' on the West, is the
Tochma Su, which joins the main river at Malatie. I have not been
able to discover any map of Armenia of the XVth or XVIth century in
which the course of the Euphrates is laid down with any thing like
the correctness displayed in this sketch. The best I have seen is
the Catalonian Portulan of Olivez de Majorca, executed in 1584, and
it is far behind Leonardo's.]. This mountain, at its base, is
inhabited by a very rich population and is full of most beautiful
springs and rivers, and is fertile and abounding in all good
produce, particularly in those parts which face to the South. But
after mounting about three miles we begin to find forests of great
fir trees, and beech and other similar trees; after this, for a
space of three more miles, there are meadows and vast pastures; and
all the rest, as far as the beginning of the Taurus, is eternal
snows which never disappear at any time, and extend to a height of
about fourteen miles in all. From this beginning of the Taurus up to
the height of a mile the clouds never pass away; thus we have
fifteen miles, that is, a height of about five miles in a straight
line; and the summit of the peaks of the Taurus are as much, or
about that. There, half way up, we begin to find a scorching air and
never feel a breath of wind; but nothing can live long there; there
nothing is brought forth save a few birds of prey which breed in the
high fissures of Taurus and descend below the clouds to seek their
prey. Above the wooded hills all is bare rock, that is, from the
clouds upwards; and the rock is the purest white. And it is
impossible to walk to the high summit on account of the rough and
perilous ascent.
1337.
Having often made you, by my letters, acquainted with the things
which have happened, I think I ought not to be silent as to the
events of the last few days, which--[2]...
Having several times--
Having many times rejoiced with you by letters over your prosperous
fortunes, I know now that, as a friend you will be sad with me over
the miserable state in which I find myself; and this is, that during
the last few days I have been in so much trouble, fear, peril and
loss, besides the miseries of the people here, that we have been
envious of the dead; and certainly I do not believe that since the
elements by their separation reduced the vast chaos to order, they
have ever combined their force and fury to do so much mischief to
man. As far as regards us here, what we have seen and gone through
is such that I could not imagine that things could ever rise to such
an amount of mischief, as we experienced in the space of ten hours.
In the first place we were assailed and attacked by the violence and
fury of the winds [*10]; to this was added the falling of great
mountains of snow which filled up all this valley, thus destroying a
great part of our city [Footnote 11: _Della nostra citta_ (Leonardo
first wrote _di questa citta_). From this we may infer that he had
at some time lived in the place in question wherever it might be.].
And not content with this the tempest sent a sudden flood of water
to submerge all the low part of this city [*12]; added to which
there came a sudden rain, or rather a ruinous torrent and flood of
water, sand, mud, and stones, entangled with roots, and stems and
fragments of various trees; and every kind of thing flying through
the air fell upon us; finally a great fire broke out, not brought by
the wind, but carried as it would seem, by ten thousand devils,
which completely burnt up all this neighbourhood and it has not yet
ceased. And those few who remain unhurt are in such dejection and
such terror that they hardly have courage to speak to each other, as
if they were stunned. Having abandoned all our business, we stay
here together in the ruins of some churches, men and women mingled
together, small and great [Footnote 17: _Certe ruine di chiese_.
Either of Armenian churches or of Mosques, which it was not unusual
to speak of as churches.
_Maschi e femmini insieme unite_, implies an infringement of the
usually strict rule of the separation of the sexes.], just like
herds of goats. The neighbours out of pity succoured us with
victuals, and they had previously been our enemies. And if
[Footnote 18: _I vicini, nostri nimici_. The town must then have
stood quite close to the frontier of the country. Compare 1336. L.
7. _vicini ai nostri confini_. Dr. M. JORDAN has already published
lines 4-13 (see _Das Malerbuch, Leipzig_, 1873, p. 90:--his reading
differs from mine) under the title of "Description of a landscape
near Lake Como". We do in fact find, among other loose sheets in the
Codex Atlanticus, certain texts referring to valleys of the Alps
(see Nos. 1030, 1031 and note p. 237) and in the arrangement of the
loose sheets, of which the Codex Atlanticus has been formed, these
happen to be placed close to this text. The compiler stuck both on
the same folio sheet; and if this is not the reason for Dr. JORDAN'S
choosing such a title (Description &c.) I cannot imagine what it can
have been. It is, at any rate, a merely hypothetical statement. The
designation of the population of the country round a city as "the
enemy" (_nemici_) is hardly appropriate to Italy in the time of
Leonardo.] it had not been for certain people who succoured us with
victuals, all would have died of hunger. Now you see the state we
are in. And all these evils are as nothing compared with those which
are promised to us shortly.
I know that as a friend you will grieve for my misfortunes, as I, in
former letters have shown my joy at your prosperity ...
[Footnote: 1337. On comparing this commencement of a letter l. 1-2
with that in l. 3 and 4 of No. 1336 it is quite evident that both
refer to the same event. (Compare also No. 1337 l. 10-l2 and 17 with
No. 1336 l. 23, 24 and 32.) But the text No. 1336, including the
fragment l. 3-4, was obviously written later than the draft here
reproduced. The _Diodario_ is not directly addressed--the person
addressed indeed is not known--and it seems to me highly probable
that it was written to some other patron and friend whose name and
position are not mentioned.]
Notes about events observed abroad (1338-1339).
1338.
BOOK 43. OF THE MOVEMENT OF AIR ENCLOSED IN WATER.
I have seen motions of the air so furious that they have carried,
mixed up in their course, the largest trees of the forest and whole
roofs of great palaces, and I have seen the same fury bore a hole
with a whirling movement digging out a gravel pit, and carrying
gravel, sand and water more than half a mile through the air.
[Footnote: The first sixteen lines of this passage which treat of
the subject as indicated on the title line have no place in this
connexion and have been omitted.]
*[Footnote 2: _Ho veduto movimenti_ &c. Nothing of the kind happened
in Italy during Leonardo's lifetime, and it is therefore extremely