Introduction

INTRODUCTION I amfully conscious that, not being a literary man, certain presumptuous persons will think that they may reasonably blame me; alleging that I am not a man of letters. Foolishfolks! Do they not know that I might retort as Marius did to the Roman Patricians by saying: that they, who deck themselves out in the labours of others will not allow me my own. They will say that I, having no literary skill, cannot properly express that which I desire to treat of; but they do not know that my subjects are to be dealt with by experience rather than by words; and (experience) has been the mistress of those who wrote well. And so, as mistress, I will cite her in all cases. LEONARD0 DA VINCI 1 INTRODUCTION Parce que j e ne suis pas lettri, certains prtsomptueux prttendent avoir lieu de me blimer, en alligaunt que j e ne suis pas un humaniste. Stupide engeance, ils ne savent pas, ceux-lb, que j e pourrais leur ripondre, comme Marius aux patriciens romains: Ceux qui se privalent eux-mtmes des eJorts d’autrui ne veulent pas me lasser les miens.’ Ils diront que, faute d’avoir des lettres,j e ne peux bien dire ce que j e veux exprimer. Or, ils ignorent que mes oeuvres sont plutbt sujettes de l’exptrience que des paroles d’autrui; et l’experience jut la maitresse de ceux qui tcrivirent bien; et moi aussi,je la prends pour maitresse, et en tout les cas, J‘e l’alleuerai. LEONARD DE VINCI ...