Prophecy of the Treasure-Bearing Mules; a Note on Wages
A profezia on beasts carrying silver and gold, beside a windmill-parts sketch
At the top of the leaf Leonardo sets down one of his prophecies: many treasures and great riches will be entrusted to four-footed animals that will carry them to various places, a riddle whose answer is pack-mules laden with silver and gold. Below, a small framed mechanism is captioned as parts of a windmill. A further note, headed 'to secure my salary,' argues against giving out the work as a lump sum and for a salaried overseer who would use Leonardo's instruments to cut away the superfluous, crude devices then in use.
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Prophecy of the mules bearing silver and gold
The leaf opens with a prophecy titled of the mules that carry the rich loads of silver and gold. It declares that many treasures and great riches will be near four-footed animals which will carry them to various places, the solution being laden pack-mules.
Parts of a windmill
A small framed mechanism is sketched in the middle of the leaf and captioned as parts of a windmill. It is drawn as a boxed frame with an internal beam. No detailed description of the parts accompanies it.
On securing his salary and overseeing the work
A note headed 'to secure my salary' urges that the work not be let out as a lump-sum contract. Instead a salaried overseer should be the one who, by means of Leonardo's instruments, shortens all the superfluous and crude contrivances then in use.