383

On the human body in action.

OF THE STRENGTH OF MAN.

A man pulling a [dead] weight balanced against himself cannot pull more than his own weight. And if he has to raise it he will [be able to] raise as much more than his weight as his strength may be more than that of other men. [Footnote 7: The stroke at the end of this line finishes in the original in a sort of loop or flourish, and a similar flourish occurs at the end of the previous passage written on the same page. M. RAVAISSON regards these as numbers (compare the photograph of page 30b in his edition of MS. A). He remarks: “Ce chiffre 8 et, a la fin de l’alinea precedent, le chiffre 7 sont, dans le manuscrit, des renvois.”] The greatest force a man can apply, with equal velocity and impetus, will be when he sets his feet on one end of the balance [or lever] and then presses his shoulders against some stable body. This will raise a weight at the other end of the balance [lever], equal to his own weight and [added to that] as much weight as he can carry on his shoulders.

Taken from The Notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci edited by Jean Paul Richter, 1880.

Notebooks of Leonoardo da Vinci
VII: On the Proportions and on the Movements of the Human Figure.
. . .
363,
364,
365,
366,
367
The movement of the human figure.
368,
369,
370,
371,
372,
373,
374
Of walking up and down.
375,
376,
377,
378,
379
On the human body in action.
380,
381,
382,
383,
384,
385,
386,
387,
388
On hair falling down in curls.
389
On draperies.
390,
391,
392