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See also. Music and harmony; Recreate; Remedy by diversion; Nepenthe; Leisure.
Mistress
Source forms: mistress; Mistris
The word. A mistress can be the woman a person loves or courts. The word need not imply an adulterous relationship.
In Burton. The definition of lovesickness describes sustained attention to the beloved’s beauty and behaviour. The unassigned couplet imagines a beloved not yet found. Cicero’s account of the lover’s obedience supplies a related image of the woman’s rule, though the selected body passage calls her a woman rather than a mistress.
The places. The mistress is the object of the lover’s consuming attention. (p. 446; DJR-115-49.) The speaker seeks an as-yet-unknown mistress. (p. 468; DJR-120-14.) The related argument represents love as subjection to a woman’s commands. (p. 523; DJR-130-02.)
In this edition. “his Mistris” → “his mistress” (DJR-115-49); “a mistress yet to come” → “a mistress still to come” (DJR-120-14); “a woman domineers” → “a woman rules him” (DJR-130-02). Mistress is retained where it occurs, with its historical sense explained. The argument about rule and obedience concerns command of the passions, not proof of the couple’s marital status.
See also. Dowry and jointure; Quean and slut.
Mortification
The word. Mortification is the subduing of bodily desires through ascetic discipline. Mortified in this passage carries that religious sense, turned towards exhaustion and madness; it does not simply mean embarrassed.
In Burton. Burton attacks practices undertaken to earn merit under a claim of perfection. He describes the Devil as exploiting blind zeal through penance, harsh clothing, whipping and fasting. The word’s spiritual ideal is drawn into his account of harmful excess.
The places. Mortified links the ascetic ideal with Burton’s polemical account of madness. (p. 655; DJR-156-01.)
In this edition. “quite mortified and mad” → “utterly mortified and mad” (DJR-156-01). The retained word preserves the religious vocabulary and its bitter turn in Burton’s sentence. Wearing wool against the skin explains the accompanying going wolward.
See also. Solitude; Supererogation; Anchorite; Non naturals; Zeal.
Mortmain
The word. Mortmain concerns land held perpetually by an ecclesiastical or other corporate body, and the legal restrictions on transfers into such ownership. The selected occurrence is in Burton’s margin.
In Burton. The body describes large accumulations of ecclesiastical wealth. The margin invokes statutes of mortmain as evidence that lay people distrust the clergy’s power. The legal term supports the argument about lasting institutional possession.
The places. The marginal reference to mortmain accompanies the account of ecclesiastical holdings. (p. 649; DJR-154-33.)
In this edition. “mortmain” → “mortmain” (DJR-154:B28; margin). The English marginal term is retained and explained. It is not inserted into the main text’s list of territories or estimates.
See also. Church patronage.
Mountebank
Source forms: Mountebanks; Quacksalvers
The word. Mountebank and quacksalver are disparaging names for sellers of dubious remedies or pretended healers. Their context emphasizes deceit and the lack of the qualifications Burton demands.
In Burton. Mountebanks first join a polemical list of people who fabricate strange voices and frighten their audiences. In the defence of medicine, Burton separates such practitioners from a learned, skilful and honest physician. The accusation targets abuses of medical authority.
The places. Mountebanks join the catalogue of deceptive performers. (p. 211; DJR-064-30.) Mountebanks and quacksalvers are contrasted with qualified physicians. (p. 226; DJR-069-04.)
In this edition. “Mountebanks” → “quacks” (DJR-064-30); “Mountebanks, Quacksalvers” → “mountebanks, quacks” (DJR-069-04). Quacks gives a familiar equivalent; retaining mountebanks in the fuller list preserves its historical vocabulary. The neighbouring empirics refers to untrained practitioners in this argument, not to modern empirical science.
See also. Physick; Counterfeit.
Music and harmony
Source forms: diapason; concent
The word. Diapason is a complete musical octave, used figuratively for full harmony. Concent means concord or harmony, rather than consent or agreement to an act.
In Burton. The proposed commonwealth turns a musical relation into an image of social ranks bound by affection and law. In the discussion of recreation, the harmony of musicians adorns a banquet like a precious stone set in gold. Music connects proportion and pleasure in two distinct settings.
The places. Diapason figures the harmony of social ranks. (p. 65; DJR-016-37.) Concent names the musicians’ harmony at a banquet. (p. 300; DJR-085-20.)
In this edition. “a diapason and sweet harmony” → “a full and sweet harmony” (DJR-016-37); “the concent of Musicians” → “the harmony of musicians” (DJR-085-20). Full harmony conveys the first metaphor without requiring a technical musical gloss in the sentence. Harmony also prevents a misreading of concent as consent.
See also. Mirth.
Myrach
Source forms: myrach; Mirache; Myrachiall; myrache
The word. Myrach, mirach and myrache refer to the abdominal region or its containing wall. Myrachial is the adjective used for a historical kind of melancholy associated with that region.
In Burton. Burton lists myrachial melancholy among bodily varieties, then equates it with hypochondriacal or flatulent melancholy. He calls it especially distressing and frequent while reporting that other physicians regard it as less dangerous. The symptom account associates the region with swelling, wind and nausea.
The places. Myrach supplies the name of one kind of melancholy. (p. 35; DJR-027-47.) Mirache appears in the anatomical catalogue. (p. 174; DJR-057-02.) Myrachial is equated with hypochondriacal melancholy. (p. 176; DJR-057-29.) The abdominal wall is associated with particular symptoms. (p. 200; DJR-062-16.)
In this edition. “myrach” → “myrach” (DJR-027-47); “Mirache” → “mirach” (DJR-057-02); “Myrachiall” → “myrachial” (DJR-057-29); “myrache” → “abdominal wall” (DJR-062-16). The technical name is retained in the classifications; abdominal wall explains it in the symptom discussion. The article preserves the historical term’s regional breadth.
See also. Organical parts.
Neoterics
Source forms: neotericks; Juniors
The word. Neoterics are more recent writers relative to Burton and his older authorities. Juniors likewise means later writers, rather than younger or subordinate members of a profession.
In Burton. Burton directs readers from ancient and medieval medical books to the meticulous work of more recent authors. A later catalogue of symptoms describes their repetition through successive authorities. The terms locate writers within a learned succession.
The places. Neoterics identifies the more recent medical authors. (p. 7; DJR-022-11.) Juniors identifies later writers repeating the symptoms. (p. 179; DJR-058-09.)
In this edition. “exact Neotericks” → “meticulous modern writers” (DJR-022-11); “all the Juniors” → “all the later writers” (DJR-058-09). Modern is relative to Burton’s time. Later makes the chronological sense of juniors explicit.
See also. Clerk; Humane learning; Schoolmen; Century.