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← ExitThe Anatomy of Melancholy

Reading language

Contextual Lexicon

The places. Ligation names the suspension of sensory activity in sleep. (p. 24; DJR-025-22.) Ligatures occur among proposed magical remedies. (p. 216; DJR-067-36.)

In this edition. “This ligation of senses” → “This suspension of the senses” (DJR-025-22); “Ligatures” → “magical bindings” (DJR-067-36). Suspension clarifies the state of the senses; magical bindings identifies the second catalogue’s intended objects. Neither wording replaces Burton’s question with an endorsement.

See also. Fascination.

Lights

Source forms: lights

The word. Lights means lungs. The word in this anatomical account names the organ, not sources of illumination.

In Burton. Burton makes the lungs the instrument of voice and breathing, comparing them to an orator speaking for the heart. His account of cooling the heart then connects air, windpipe and the vessel called the venosal artery within historical physiology.

The places. Lights names the lungs in the account of voice and respiration. (p. 19; DJR-024-16.)

In this edition. “which wanteth these lights” → “lacking lungs” (DJR-024-16). Lungs removes an obsolete anatomical term while preserving the surrounding claims about the organ’s functions.

See also. Organical parts.

Living and preferment

Source forms: preferment; preferments; prebend

The word. Preferment means advancement to an appointment or remunerated position, often in the Church. A living is an endowed church office and its income; a prebend is an endowed cathedral position or its income.

In Burton. Burton’s scholar completes costly studies but cannot obtain advancement. Shy people may refuse appointments offered to them, while the tale of a vacant prebend exposes competition and patronage. The complaint about parsonages and vicarages presents a further purchase after the expense of education.

The places. The qualified scholar remains unable to obtain preferment. (p. 131; DJR-047-11.) Shyness causes appointments to be refused. (p. 188; DJR-059-39.) A lucrative prebend becomes the object of competition. (p. 351; DJR-096-17.) Church appointments involve financial and spiritual risks. (p. 135; DJR-048-03.)

In this edition. “fit for preferment” → “ready for advancement” (DJR-047-11); “honours, offices and preferments” → “honours, offices and promotions” (DJR-059-39); “a fat Prebend” → “a lucrative prebend” (DJR-096-17); “spiritual preferments” → “church appointments” (DJR-048-03). Advancement, promotions and appointments describe the opportunities at issue. Lucrative makes the economic force of fat explicit, while prebend remains the particular office.

See also. Church patronage.

Lodestone and adamant

Source forms: lodestone; adamant; adamantinum

The word. A lodestone is a naturally magnetized stone. Adamant can likewise mean a magnet, but adamantine can instead evoke extreme hardness and an unbreakable bond. The context determines whether attraction or firmness is intended.

In Burton. Industry is the lodestone drawing commerce to the Low Countries. The beloved’s beauty similarly attracts and holds the lover like a magnet drawing iron. In the argument for marriage, however, the adamantine bond of love is described through its strength rather than its attractive power.

The places. Industry draws commerce like a lodestone. (p. 53–54; DJR-014-17.) Beauty attracts the lover like a magnet drawing iron. (p. 462; DJR-119-04.) The bond of conjugal love is called adamantine. (p. 586; DJR-143-23.)

In this edition. “their chiefest Lodestone” → “the chief magnet” (DJR-014-17); “as an adamant doth iron” → “like a magnet drawing iron” (DJR-119-04); “Vinculum Conjugalis charitatis adamantinum” → “The bond of conjugal love is unbreakable” (DJR-143-23). Magnet makes the two images of attraction clear. Unbreakable preserves the different force of the marriage maxim.

See also. Fascination; Glass.

Love

Source forms: sensible love; dilection

The word. Love is a broad category in Burton, extending across animal attraction, human affection and religious devotion. Sensible love means the love of sentient animals; dilection means affection. Heroical love and charity name more particular kinds within the larger discussion.

In Burton. The account of animals relates love to mating, offspring and likeness of kind. Charity gathers virtuous dispositions under Christian love, whereas heroic love is criticized as burning lust. The religious discussion directs love towards God as the supreme good and connects it with knowledge, faith, hope and obedience. These contexts prevent erotic desire from becoming the word’s universal meaning.

The places. Sensible love is defined through animal life. (p. 415; DJR-109-09.) Charity includes dilection and other virtuous dispositions. (p. 426; DJR-111-17.) Heroical love is contrasted with its honourable title. (p. 442; DJR-115-01.) Love is directed towards God as the supreme good. (p. 635; DJR-151-45.) Love of God is connected with commandments and other virtues. (p. 637; DJR-152-11.)

In this edition. “Sensible love” → “Sentient love” (DJR-109-09); “dilection” → “affection” (DJR-111-17); “Heroicall Love” → “heroic love” (DJR-115-01); “perfectly inamoured” → “perfectly in love” (DJR-151-45); “love presupposeth knowledge, faith, hope” → “love presupposes knowledge, faith and hope” (DJR-152-11). The retained word love gathers the discussion, while sentient and affection clarify less familiar terms. The modern text keeps the theological and erotic uses in their particular arguments.

See also. Heroical love; Jealousy; Charity; Self love; Pleasure.

Lucid intervals

Source forms: lucida intervalla

The word. Lucida intervalla means lucid intervals. Here it describes interruptions in symptoms and pain, which come in fits rather than continuing without relief.

In Burton. Burton presents these intervals as an advantage of windy or flatulent melancholy over other kinds. His immediate explanation names fear, sorrow and pain as less continuous; the phrase should therefore be read through that explanation rather than restricted to a claim about reasoning alone.

The places. Lucid intervals are explained by the intermittent course of symptoms. (p. 201; DJR-062-21.)

In this edition. “lucida intervalla” → “lucid intervals” (DJR-062-21). The familiar phrase remains, followed by Burton’s account of what varies. No additional modern diagnostic or legal meaning is supplied.

See also. Madness.

Lust and lusty

Source forms: lust; lusty; salacity

The word. Lust can mean appetite or desire broadly, as well as sexual desire. Lusty can mean vigorous or robust. Salacity has the more specifically sexual sense in the discussion of sparrows.

In Burton. The account of weariness with pleasure calls unsatisfied desires lust. The regimen uses lusty of bodily strength as a condition in a recommendation about sexual activity. The example of sparrows then joins sexual appetite with the supposed shortening of life through excess.

The places. Lust describes desires left unsatisfied by worldly pleasure. (p. 152; DJR-052-07.) Lusty describes bodily vigour. (p. 240; DJR-072-06.) Salacity names sexual appetite in the animal example. (p. 240; DJR-072-09.)

In this edition. “their lust could never be satisfied” → “their desires could never be satisfied” (DJR-052-07); “very lusty” → “very vigorous” (DJR-072-06); “their salacity, which is very frequent” → “their very frequent sexual activity” (DJR-072-09). Desires and vigorous preserve the wider senses. Sexual activity gives salacity its specific force in the claim about repeated expenditure.

13549.Edited source passages: p. 19 (DJR-024-16). Existing edition notes: DJR-024:E14. DJR-024:E14 gives a comparison from Crooke’s Microcosmographia that helps explain the compressed vascular connection. Burton’s syntax and general assertion about voice and lungs remain, rather than being rewritten as modern anatomy.

13550.Edited source passages: p. 131 (DJR-047-11); p. 188 (DJR-059-39); p. 351 (DJR-096-17); p. 135 (DJR-048-03). Existing edition notes: DJR-047:E10, DJR-048:E03, DJR-059:E36, DJR-096:E14. DJR-059:E36 leaves the particular refusals by Peter of Blois and Urswick untraced. DJR-096:E14 treats Moronia as an imaginary setting, not an identified cathedral vacancy. DJR-048:E03 explains the patronage and simony vocabulary.

13551.Edited source passages: p. 53–54 (DJR-014-17); p. 462 (DJR-119-04); p. 586 (DJR-143-23). Existing edition notes: DJR-014:E11, DJR-119:E02, DJR-143:E14. DJR-014:E11 distinguishes Burton’s broad Low Countries from the United Provinces alone. DJR-119:E02 explains the separate Medusa and basilisk images; DJR-143:E14 supplies the hardness sense of adamantine.

13552.Edited source passages: p. 415 (DJR-109-09); p. 426 (DJR-111-17); p. 442 (DJR-115-01); p. 635 (DJR-151-45); p. 637 (DJR-152-11). Existing edition notes: DJR-109:E09, DJR-111:E15, DJR-115:E01, DJR-151:E35, DJR-152:E11. DJR-109:E09 leaves the precise Epicharmus and Diogenianus passages uncollated. DJR-111:E15 marks the Christian limitation as Burton’s theological claim. DJR-151:E35 records the correction of seem to see and preserves his glory beside Isaiah’s beauty; DJR-152:E11 identifies the combined Johannine passages.

13553.Edited source passages: p. 201 (DJR-062-21). Existing edition notes: DJR-062:E19. DJR-062:E19 retains the subsequent wind-based explanation of sexual appetite and the attributed benefit of intercourse as historical claims. It also records the placement of the Rhasis marginal locator.

13554.Edited source passages: p. 152 (DJR-052-07); p. 240 (DJR-072-06); p. 240 (DJR-072-09). Existing edition notes: DJR-052:E06, DJR-072:E06, DJR-072:E09. DJR-052:E06 leaves the Marcus Aurelius passage unidentified. DJR-072:E06 preserves the difference between the body and margin’s patient lists. DJR-072:E09 explains Burton’s use of Martial’s elegiac line as a warning and treats the animal example as historical physiology.