12 Projessor W. B. Morton on Leonardo da Vinci. 



in the service of different princes, finally being taken to France by 

 Francis I., where he died in 1519. Throughout his life he kept 

 up the practice of writing down in voluminous notebooks his 

 thoughts on scientific and other subjects. These notebooks were 

 left to his devoted friend Melzi, who kept them carefully while he 

 lived. Afterwards his descendants attached no value to the 

 manuscripts, which became scattered in many quarters. A 

 selection of the notes, dealing with painting, was published in 

 1650, but it was not till the end of the eighteenth century that the 

 valuable scientific observations and theories contained in ihem 

 were made known by Venturi. Owing to this circumstance 

 Leonardo did not exercise his proper influence on the course of 

 scientific discovery, though some of the works of his immediate 

 successors, such as Cardan, bear evidence of an incomplete 

 acquaintance with Leonardo's notes. Many results discovered by 

 Galileo and later scientists were anticipated by him. The lecturer 

 gave an account of some of Leonardo's achievements in the 

 invention of machines and scientific instruments and of his 

 investigations in a wide range of subjects, including mechanics, 

 light, sound, hydraulics, theory of flight, geology, botany, and 

 anatomy. 



The lecturer's remarks were enhanced by the introduction of 

 a series of interesting lantern slides. 



Sir Otto Jaffe proposed, and Mr. John Horner seconded, 

 a vote of thanks to Professor Morton for his interesting and 

 instructive lecture. The motion was supported by Mr. Henry 

 RiDDELL, and was passed by acclamation. 



