There is nothing surprising in the fact that the notes regarding his pupils are few and meagre.  Excepting for the record of money transactions only very exceptional circumstances would have prompted him to make any written observations on the persons with whom he was in daily intercourse, among whom, of course, were his pupils.  Of them all none is so frequently mentioned as Salai, but the character of the notes does not—­as it seems to me—­justify us in supposing that he was any thing more than a sort of factotum of Leonardo’s (see 1519, note).

Leonardo’s quotations from books and his lists of titles supply nothing more than a hint as to his occasional literary studies or recreations.  It was evidently no part of his ambition to be deeply read (see Nrs. 10, 11, 1159) and he more than once expressly states (in various passages which will be found in the foregoing sections) that he did not recognise the authority of the Ancients, on scientific questions, which in his day was held paramount.  Archimedes is the sole exception, and Leonardo frankly owns his admiration for the illustrious Greek to whose genius his own was so much akin (see No. 1476).  All his notes on various authors, excepting those which have already been inserted in the previous section, have been arranged alphabetically for the sake of convenience (1469—­1508).

The passages next in order contain accounts and inventories principally of household property.  The publication of these—­often very trivial entries—­is only justifiable as proving that the wealth, the splendid mode of life and lavish expenditure which have been attributed to Leonardo are altogether mythical; unless we put forward the very improbable hypothesis that these notes as to money in hand, outlay and receipts, refer throughout to an exceptional state of his affairs, viz. when he was short of money.

The memoranda collected at the end (No. 1505—­1565) are, in the original, in the usual writing, from left to right.  Besides, the style of the handwriting is at variance with what we should expect it to be, if really Leonardo himself had written these notes.  Most of them are to be found in juxtaposition with undoubtedly authentic writing of his.  But this may be easily explained, if we take into account the fact, that Leonardo frequently wrote on loose sheets.  He may therefore have occasionally used paper on which others had made short memoranda, for the most part as it would seem, for his use.  At the end of all I have given Leonardo’s will from the copy of it preserved in the Melzi Library.  It has already been printed by Amoretti and by Uzielli.  It is not known what has become of the original document.

Memoranda before 1500 (1379-l413).

1379.