The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete
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 ...
W. An. III 217a (G)]
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.
MEMORARDUM.
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.
1445.
In that at Pavia the movement is more
to be admired than any thing else.
The imitation of antique work is better
than that of the modern things.
Beauty and utility cannot exist together,
as seen in fortresses and in men.
The trot is almost the nature of the free
horse.
Where natural vivacity is lacking it must
be supplied by art.
[Footnote: Quel di Pavia_. _Pavia_ is possibly a clerical
error for _Padua_, and if so the meaning of the passage
is easily arrived at: _Quel di Padua_ would be
the bronze equestrian statue of Gattamelata, on the
Piazza del Santo at Padua executed by Donatelle in
1443 (see pp. 2 and 3).]
1446.
Salvadore, the matress maker, lives on the
Piazza di Sant' Andrea, you enter by the furrier's.
1447.
Monsignore de' Pazzi,--Ser Antonio Pacini.
1448.
An algebra, which the Marliani have,
written by their father, [Footnote 1:
_Marliani_, an old Milanese family, now
extinct.]--
On the bone, by the Marliani,--
On the bone which penetrates, Gian Giacomo
of Bellinzona, to draw out the nail with
facility,--
The measurement of Boccalino,--
The measurement of Milan and the suburbs,
[Footnote 5: *21. See Pl. CIX and No. 1016.]--
A book, treating of Milan and its churches
which is to be had at the last stationer's
on the way to Corduso [Footnote 6: _Corduso_, see No. 1413, note.],--
The measurement of the Corte Vecchia,--
The measurement of the Castle,--
Get the master of arithmetic to show you
how to square a....,--
Get Messer Fazio to show you [the book]
on proportion,--
Get the Friar di Brera to show you [the
book] '_de Ponderibus_' [*11],--
Of the measurement of San Lorenzo,--
I lent certain groups to Fra Filippo de
Brera, [*13]--
Memorandum: to ask Maestro Giovannino
as to the mode in which the tower of
Ferrara is walled without loopholes,--
Ask Maestro Antonio how mortars are
placed on bastions by day or by night,--
Ask Benedetto Portinari how the people
go on the ice in Flanders,--
On proportions by Alchino, with notes
by Marliano, from Messer Fazio,--
The measurement of the sun, promised me
by Maestro Giovanni, the Frenchman,--
The cross bow of Maestro Gianetto,--
The book by Giovanni Taverna that
Messer Fazio,--
You will draw Milan [21],--
The measurement of the canal, locks and
supports, and large boats; and the expense,--
Plan of Milan [Footnote 23: _Fondamento_ is commonly used by Leonardo to
mean ground-plan. See for instance p. 53.],--
Groups by Bramante [Footnote 24: _Gruppi_. See Vol. I p. 355, No. 600, note 9.],--
The book on celestial phenomena by
Aristoteles, in Italian [Footnote 25: _Meteora_. By this Leonardo means no doubt
the four books *. He must refer
here to a MS. translation, as no Italian translation
is known to have been published (see No. 1477
note).],--
Try to get Vitolone, which is in the
library at Pavia [Footnote 26: _Vitolone_ see No. 1506, note.
_Libreria di Pavia_. One of the most famous of
Italian libraries. After the victory of Novara in
April 1500, Louis XII had it conveyed to France,
'_come trofeo di vittoria_'!] and which treats of
Mathematics,--He had a master [learned] in
waterworks and get him to explain the repairs
and the costs, and a lock and a canal and
a mill in the Lombard fashion.
A grandson of Gian Angelo's, the painter
has a book on water which was his fathers.
Paolino Scarpellino, called Assiolo has
great knowledge of water works.
1449.
Francesco d'Antonio at Florence.
11. 13. [Footnote: _Brera_, now _Palazzo delle Scienze ed Arti.
Until 1571 it was the monastery of the order of the
Umiliati and afterwards of the Jesuits.
_De ponderibus_, compare No. 1436, 3.]
12. [Footnote: _Sco Lorenzo_. A church at Milan, see pp. 39,
40 and 50.]
*13. 24. [Footnote: _Gruppi_. See Vol. I p. 355, No. 600, note 9.]
*16. [Footnote: The _Portinari_ were one of the great merchant-
families of Florence.]
1450.
Giuliano Condi[*1],--Tomaso Ridolf1,--
Tomaso Paganelli,--Nicolo delNero,--Simone
Zasti,--Nasi,--the heir of Lionardo Manelli,
--Guglielmo di Ser Martino,--Bartolomeo
del Tovaglia,--Andrea Arrigucci,--
Nicolo Capponi,--Giovanni Portinari.
[Footnote: I. _Guiliano Gondi_. Ser Piero da Vinci,
Leonardo's father, lived till 1480, in a house belonging
to Giuliano Gondi. In 1498 this was pulled
down to make room for the fine Palazzo built on
the Piazza San Firenze by Giuliano di San Gallo,
which still exists. In the _Riassunto del Catasto di Ser
Piero da Vinci_, 1480, Leonardo is not mentioned; it
is evident therefore that he was living elsewhere. It