The Notebooks of Leonardo Da Vinci — Complete by Leonardo da Vinci is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. Read this book online for free on HackerNoon!

"Majestati naturae par ingenium."

If the eye is required to look at an object placed too near to it, it cannot judge of it well—as happens to a man who tries to see the tip of his nose.

Shadow is the obstruction of light.

The more brilliant the light given by a luminous body, the deeper will the shadows be cast by the objects it illuminates.

No white or black is transparent.

The variety of colour in objects cannot be discerned at a great distance, excepting in those parts which are directly lighted up by the solar rays.

A man when he lies down is reduced to 1/9 of his height.

The scars on trees grow to a greater thickness than is required by the sap of the limb which nourishes them.

No sooner is Virtue born than Envy comes into the world to attack it; and sooner will there be a body without a shadow than Virtue without Envy.