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Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Parallel Edition

Robert Burton

The Anatomy of Melancholy

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

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The Anatomy of MelancholySubsection 4. the Species or Kinds of Melancholy

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1651 English Page · Branch 175 of 1495

Subsection 4. the Species or Kinds of Melancholy

Book Mode

1651 English

36–37–37

What Physicians say of distinct species in their books, it much matters not, since that in their patients bodies they are commonly mixt. In such obscurity therefore, variety and confused mixture of symptomes, causes, how difficult a thing is it to treat of several kindes apart; to make any certainty or distinction among so many casualties, distractions, when seldome two men shall be like affected per omnia?

’Tis hard, I confess, yet nevertheless I will adventure through the midst of these perplexities, & led by the clue or thread of the best writers, extricate my self out of a labyrinth of doubts and errors, and so proceed to the Causes.

36–37–37

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 4. the Species or Kinds of Melancholy

p. 175

What physicians say in their books about distinct species matters little, since these are usually mixed in their patients’ bodies. Amid such obscurity, variety and confused combinations of symptoms and causes, how difficult it is to discuss the several kinds separately, or establish anything certain and distinct among so many contingencies and complications, when scarcely two people are affected alike in every respect!

It is hard, I confess. Nevertheless, I shall venture into these perplexities and, guided by the thread supplied by the best writers, find my way out of this labyrinth of doubts and errors and proceed to the causes.

175

About This Reading Edition

Robert Burton’s Anatomy ranges across medicine, philosophy, poetry, religion, and everyday life in its inquiry into melancholy. This complete parallel edition pairs the 1651 English text with a close modern English rendering, preserving the three Partitions, Democritus Junior’s address to the reader, verse, and the historical index.

Historical Text and Translation

The historical text follows the sixth edition, printed at Oxford for Henry Cripps in 1651, using the McGill University Library copy. The supplied edition documents missing printed pages 98–99 supplied from another 1651 copy at the Bavarian State Library. Historical folio labels and their irregularities remain visible; web reader numbers identify reflowed passages and do not claim to reproduce PDF pagination.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared the close modern English rendering and editorial matter. All 8,755 original and modern passage pairs remain aligned, with verse breaks, italics, continuations, and linked annotations preserved. Burton’s 6,781 historical notes retain their attribution; 6,895 editorial notes remain distinct. The introduction, Note on the Text, contextual lexicon, indexes, source documentation, and bibliography are included. The engraved frontispiece remains available in the original downloads.

Rights

Burton’s historical text is in the public domain. The modern English rendering, introduction, notes, and editorial matter are © 2026 Diotimos Editions and appear with the site owner’s permission. The complete supplied PDF, EPUB, Word, and Markdown files remain available unchanged. The PDF and Word edition preserve the original parallel page layout.