Draft letter to a lord about a troublesome German craftsman
Leonardo defends himself, having paid the man early and offered to house and train him
A draft letter addressed to an illustrious lord expresses relief at the recovery of his health and apologises for not fully satisfying his wishes, blaming the 'malignity of that German deceiver.' Leonardo protests that he paid the man's wages a full month in advance and invited him to live and work with him, setting a bench by a window where he could file and finish his pieces under Leonardo's eye and learn Italian so as to speak without an interpreter. Below the letter the sheet also carries geometric figures, a semicircle marked R and a large circle enclosing a smaller tangent circle, together with small mechanical sketches and further untranscribed writing.
On this page
Relief at the lord's recovery; apology over the German
The letter opens rejoicing at the illustrious lord's recovered health, saying the writer's own illness has almost fled. He apologises for not wholly satisfying the lord's wishes, blaming the malice of a German deceiver for whom he had left nothing undone.
Wages paid early; offer to house and train the man
He protests that the man's money was paid in full a month before it was due, and that he invited him to lodge and live with him. He would set a bench at the foot of a window where the man could file and finish his pieces under his eye, learning Italian so as to work without an interpreter.
Geometric figures below the letter
Beneath the letter the sheet carries geometric figures: a triangle, a semicircle marked R, a small rectangle, and a large circle enclosing a smaller circle tangent within it.
Small mechanical sketches and further notes
Small sketches of hinged, rod-like devices sit among the diagrams at the lower centre, with further untranscribed writing in the surrounding columns.