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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 MelancholySection 2 Member 1 Subsection 1 Causes of Melancholy God as a Cause

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1651 English Page · Branch 178 of 1495

Section 2 Member 1 Subsection 1 Causes of Melancholy God as a Cause

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1651 English

38

Physicians and Physick can do no good, we must submit our selves under the mighty hand of God, acknowledg our offences, call to him for mercy. If he strike us, una eademque manus vulnus opemque feret, as it is with them that are wounded with the spear of Achilles, he alone must help; otherwise our diseases are incurable, and we not to be relieved.

38

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Section 2 Member 1 Subsection 1 Causes of Melancholy God as a Cause

p. 178

Physicians and medicine can do no good: we must submit ourselves beneath the mighty hand of God, acknowledge our offences and call on him for mercy. If he strikes us, “one and the same hand will bring the wound and its relief.” As with those wounded by Achilles’ spear, he alone must help; otherwise our diseases cannot be cured, and we cannot be relieved.

178

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.