To a weight there may be joined, by accidental violence, two spiritual powers far greater than the weight itself. The first power is called the blow, the second is called force. The blow is caused by motion and varies according to the various natures of the motion. Motion is of two kinds: the first is that which separates from its cause, the second is that which does not separate. The motion that departs from its cause over a long distance is of three kinds: the first makes its course toward the centre, the second the contrary, the third partakes of both natures and makes its course transverse. That which falls toward the centre, the more it falls, the more it weighs and the more powerfully it strikes what it meets. That which rises upward, the nearer it comes to its end, the weaker it grows, and the body it meets above is left without any injury. The transverse, as far as midway, holds the nature of that which falls to the centre; from the middle to the end it resembles the motion that rises. How force transmutes from body to body. This is clearly seen in the crossbow, the experiment that confirms the said proposition: that is, if with the belt-hook you draw the cord to the nut of the crossbow, then test with that same force how much weight you can raise; and as much weight as you raise, of such power will be the force enclosed in the body of the bow. And when that force leaves the crossbow it will fasten onto the bolt, which will show it fully at the middle of its course; and if the force weighs 400 pounds, the power of the blow will be the same. It is a true thing that the crossbow, the more slowly it is loaded, the greater the fury with which it drives the bolt.

Fragmentary word-endings, mostly illegible: '…simi' / '…iti' / '…se' / '…e' / '…tutti …me' (…all …) / '…i piani …orna …mita …ispe' (…the planes …) / '…lla …bro …pace …mente …ima' (…peace …mind …).