Bestiary: a beast's fatal beauty, and the camel
Continuing from f. 22v: a creature that hides its face to trap admirers, then the measured, load-refusing camel.
A full page of Leonardo's moralized bestiary, written in mirror script with the notebook turned upside down and no illustration. The opening lines complete an entry from f. 22v about a beast that, knowing the lure of its own beauty, hides its face until admiring animals draw near, then seizes and devours the nearest. The rest of the page is devoted to the camel, distinguishing the two-humped Bactrian from the single-humped Arabian and praising its strict sense of measure. Leonardo notes the camel refuses to move under an excessive load and halts of its own accord on too long a march.
On this page
A beast that veils its face to lure its prey
Continuing from f. 22v, the lines describe a creature that, aware of the force of its own beauty, hides its face so the surrounding animals, reassured, come close to enjoy it. It then suddenly seizes and devours the nearest. It is a bestiary image of beauty turned into a fatal snare.
The camel, Bactrian and Arabian
The camel entry distinguishes the two-humped Bactrian from the single-humped Arabian, calling both swift in battle and most useful for bearing burdens. It stresses the animal's strict measure: it will not stir under more than its usual load, and on too long a journey it stops of its own accord, obliging the merchants to lodge.