Leonardo da Vinci

In order to arrive at knowledge of the motions of birds in the air, it is first necessary to acquire knowledge of the winds, which we will prove by the motions of water in itself, and this knowledge will be a step enabling us to arrive at the knowledge of beings that fly between the air and the wind.

The natural desire of good men is knowledge.

I have found that, in the composition of the human body as compared with the bodies of animals, the organs of sense are duller and coarser. Thus, it is composed of less ingenious instruments, and of spaces less capacious for receiving the faculties of sense.

The human bird shall take his first flight, filling the world with amazement, all writings with his fame, and bringing eternal glory to the nest whence he sprang.

Time abides long enough for those who make use of it.

Time stays long enough for anyone who will use it.

In rivers, the water that you touch is the last of what has passed and the first of that which comes; so with present time.

Man and animals are in reality vehicles and conduits of food, tombs of animals, hostels of Death, coverings that consume, deriving life by the death of others.

Why does the eye see a thing more clearly in dreams than the imagination when awake?

Men of lofty genius when they are doing the least work are most active.

Men of lofty genius sometimes accomplish the most when they work least, for their minds are occupied with their ideas and the perfection of their conceptions, to which they afterwards give form.

I have offended God and mankind because my work didn't reach the quality it should have.