The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci Part 125

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 gla.s.s, 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 (mat.i.ta). 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,-compa.s.ses, -the book of Giovanni Giacomo.

1436.

MEMORARDUM.

To make some provisions for my garden, -Giordano, De Ponderibus[Footnote 3: Giordano. Jorda.n.u.s Nemorarius, a mathematician of the beginning of the XIIIth century. No particulars of his life are known. The t.i.tle of his princ.i.p.al 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,-(Sh.e.l.l)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.

Get the Friar di Brera to show you [the book] 'de Ponderibus' [Footnote 11: 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.],-

Of the measurement of San Lorenzo,-

I lent certain groups to Fra Filippo de Brera, [Footnote 13: 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.]-

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 ca.n.a.l, 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).],-