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The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete by da Vinci Leonardo

897. _He does not go into any theory of the motions of the planets;

347 words  |  Chapter 32

with regard to these and the fixed stars he only investigates the phenomena of their luminosity. The spherical form of the earth he takes for granted as an axiom from the first, and he anticipates Newton by pointing out the universality of Gravitation not merely in the earth, but even in the moon. Although his acute research into the nature of the moon's light and the spots on the moon did not bring to light many results of lasting importance beyond making it evident that they were a refutation of the errors of his contemporaries, they contain various explanations of facts which modern science need not modify in any essential point, and discoveries which history has hitherto assigned to a very much later date_. _The ingenious theory by which he tries to explain the nature of what is known as earth shine, the reflection of the sun's rays by the earth towards the moon, saying that it is a peculiar refraction, originating in the innumerable curved surfaces of the waves of the sea may be regarded as absurd; but it must not be forgotten that he had no means of detecting the fundamental error on which he based it, namely: the assumption that the moon was at a relatively short distance from the earth. So long as the motion of the earth round the sun remained unknown, it was of course impossible to form any estimate of the moon's distance from the earth by a calculation of its parallax_. _Before the discovery of the telescope accurate astronomical observations were only possible to a very limited extent. It would appear however from certain passages in the notes here printed for the first time, that Leonardo was in a position to study the spots in the moon more closely than he could have done with the unaided eye. So far as can be gathered from the mysterious language in which the description of his instrument is wrapped, he made use of magnifying glasses; these do not however seem to have been constructed like a telescope--telescopes were first made about_
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1. Chapter 1 2. 2. _addi 22 di marzo 1508_. The Christian era was computed in 3. 3. _racolto tratto di molte carte le quali io ho qui copiate_. We 4. INTRODUCTION. 5. INTRODUCTION. 6. INTRODUCTION. 7. INTRODUCTION. 8. INTRODUCTION TO PERSPECTIVE:--THAT IS OF THE FUNCTION OF THE EYE. 9. INTRODUCTION. 10. 4. This diagram below should end at _a n_ 4 8. [4]That portion of 11. 307. OF PAINTING. 12. 1480. On the same leaf there is a drawing in red chalk of two 13. Part I of the _Nuovo Giornale Botanico Italiano_, by Prof. G. 14. 3. The first five lines of the text are written below the diagram 15. 1. 2. C. A. 157a; 463a has the similar heading: '_del cressciere 16. 3. The MS. Leic. being written about the year 1510 or later, it does 17. 6. _fregalo bene con un panno_. He reads _pane_ for _panno_ and 18. 7. _colla stecca po laua_. He reads "_polacca_" = "_avec le couteau 19. 1506. (See Milanesi's note to Vasari pp. 43--45 Vol. IV ed. 1880.) 20. 1. _Incominciai_. We have no other information as to the two 21. 1. A drawing in silver point on brown toned paper of a woman's head 22. 2. A study of drapery for the left leg of the same figure, done with 23. 3. A study in red chalk for the bust of the Infant Christ--No. 3 in 24. 4. A silver-point study on greenish paper, for the head of John the 25. 361. G. Govi remarks on these ornaments (_Saggio_ p. 22): "_Codesti 26. 1881. But the coincidence is probably accidental.] 27. 1492. Leonardo's opinions as to the shortcomings of plastic works 28. 12. The meaning of _orreve_ is unknown.] 29. 1. That which gets wet increases in proportion to the moisture it 30. 2. And a wet object shrinks, while drying, in proportion to the 31. introduction to Astronomy (see Nos._ 867 _and_ 877_). Some of the 32. 897. _He does not go into any theory of the motions of the planets; 33. 1600. _As LIBRI pointed out_ (Histoire des Sciences mathematiques 34. INTRODUCTION. 35. Book 15 of matters worn away by water. 36. Book 9, of accidental risings of water. 37. Book 9 of the meeting of rivers and their flow and ebb. The cause is 38. Book 9, of the meeting of rivers and of their ebb and flow. The 39. 1339. All the foregoing chapters are from Manuscripts of about 1510. 40. 1. _Diodario._ This word is not to be found in any Italian 41. 7. _Citta de Calindra (Chalindra)_. The position of this city is so 42. 8. _I_ corni del gra mote Tauro. Compare the sketches PI. 43. 7. _vicini ai nostri confini_. Dr. M. JORDAN has already published 44. BOOK 43. OF THE MOVEMENT OF AIR ENCLOSED IN WATER. 45. 1536. A. Percy neither does mention any eruptions of Etna during the 46. 1473. [Footnote: *W. An. I. 1368. 1369. This date is on a drawing of 47. 11. 13. [Footnote: _Brera_, now _Palazzo delle Scienze ed Arti. 48. 12. [Footnote: _Sco Lorenzo_. A church at Milan, see pp. 39, 49. 2. 3. _Francesco de' Melzi_ is often mentioned, see 50. 4. _Lorenzo_. See No. 1351, l. 10 (p. 408). Amoretti 51. 1466. This seems to be an account for two assistants. 52. 1467. 5. See No. 1465, 2. 53. 1476. BRUNET, _Manuel du libraire_ (IV, p. 97) 54. 1476. Where Leonardo found the statement that 55. 10. Compare No. 1475.] 56. 1. 8II in all 57. 450. Of these I gave 2 the same day to

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