Prophecy of the shoemakers amid columns of figures
"Men will take pleasure in seeing their own works undone"
Among blocks of numerals the page carries one of Leonardo's riddling prophecies, headed 'the shoemakers': men will take pleasure in seeing their own works undone and broken. Around and below it are further columns of multiplication and addition, with values such as 4312 and the recurring total 1855. The leaf mixes a literary prophecy with working arithmetic.
On this page
A prophecy answered by 'the shoemakers'
The prophecy poses a paradox whose solution is named at the head, 'the shoemakers': men will take pleasure in seeing their own works undone and broken, since shoes are made only to be worn out. It belongs to Leonardo's series of riddling prophecies.
Columns of multiplication and summation
Numerals are worked in paired columns of multiplication and addition, with intermediate figures (352, 396, 4312) and larger sums such as 30000 and 2100. The value 1855 again appears as a running total beside the prophecy.