OF THE DEGREES OF DIMINUTION.

If you place the vertical plane at one braccio from the eye, the

first object, being at a distance of 4 braccia from your eye will

diminish to 3/4 of its height at that plane; and if it is 8 braccia

from the eye, to 7/8; and if it is 16 braccia off, it will diminish

to 15/16 of its height and so on by degrees, as the space doubles

the diminution will double.

101.

Begin from the line _m f_ with the eye below; then go up and do the

same with the line _n f_, then with the eye above and close to the 2

gauges on the ground look at _m n_; then as _c m_ is to _m n_ so

will _n m_ be to _n s_.

If _a n_ goes 3 times into _f b, m p_ will do the same into _p g_.

Then go backwards so far as that _c d_ goes twice into _a n_ and _p

g_ will be equal to _g h_. And _m p_ will go into _h p_ as often as

_d c_ into _o p_.

[Footnote: The first three lines are unfortunately very obscure.]

102.

I GIVE THE DEGREES OF THE OBJECTS SEEN BY THE EYE AS THE MUSICIAN

DOES THE NOTES HEARD BY THE EAR.

Although the objects seen by the eye do, in fact, touch each other

as they recede, I will nevertheless found my rule on spaces of 20

braccia each; as a musician does with notes, which, though they can

be carried on one into the next, he divides into degrees from note

to note calling them 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th; and has affixed a name

to each degree in raising or lowering the voice.

103.

The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Volume 1 · 第 75 / 366 题