The Anatomy of Melancholy

Name: The Anatomy of Melancholy
Author: Robert Burton

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

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The Anatomy of MelancholySection 4 Member 1 Prognosis of Melancholy

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1651 English Page · Branch 413 of 1495

Section 4 Member 1 Prognosis of Melancholy

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1651 English

215–216

and a melancholy man is that true Prometheus, which is bound to Caucasus; the true Titius, whose bowels are still by a vulture devoured (as Poets fain) for so doth Lilius Geraldus interpret it, of anxieties, and those griping cares, and so ought it to be understood.

In all other maladies, we seek for help, if a leg or an arm ake, through any distemperature or wound, or that we have an ordinary disease, above all things whatsoever, we desire help & health, a present recovery; if by any means possible it may be procured: we will freely part with all our other fortunes, substance, endure any misery, drink bitter potions, swallow those distastfull pils, suffer our joynts to be seared, to be cut off, any thing for future health; so sweet, so dear, so precious above all other things in this world is life: ’tis that we chiefly desire, long and happy days, multos da Jupiter annos, increase of years all men wish; but to a melancholy man, nothing so tedious, nothing so odious; that which they so carefully seek to preserve he abhors, he alone; so intolerable are his pains;

some make a question, graviores morbi corporis an animi, whether the diseases of the body or mind be more grievous, but there is no comparison, no doubt to be made of it, multo enim sævior longeque est atrocior animi, quam corporis cruciatus (Lem. l. 1. c. 12.) the diseases of the mind are far more grievous. —Totum hic pro vulnere corpus, body and soul is misaffected here, but the soul especially. So Cardan testifies de rerum var. lib. 8. 40. Maximus Tyrius a Platonist, and Plutarch have made just volumes to prove it. Dies adimit ægritudinem hominibus, in other diseases there is some hope likely, but these unhappy men are born to misery, past all hope of recovery, incurably sick, the longer they live the worse they are, and death alone must ease them.

Another doubt is made by some Philosophers, whether it be lawfull for a man in such extremity of pain and grief, to make away himself: and how these men that so do, are to be censured. The Platonists approve of it, that it is lawfull in such cases, and upon a necessity. Plotinus l. de beatitud. c. 7. and Socrates himself defends it, in Plato’s Phædon, if any man labor of an incurable disease, he may dispatch himself, if it be to his good.

Epicurus and his followers, The Cynicks and Stoicks in generall affirm it, Epictetus and Seneca amongst the rest, quamcunque, veram esse viam ad libertatem, any way is allowable, that leads to liberty, let us give God thanks, that no man is compelled to live against his will: quid ad hominem claustra, carcer, custodia? liberum ostium habet, death is always ready and at hand. Vides illum præcipitem locum, illud flumen, Dost thou see that steep place, that river, that pit, that tree, there’s liberty at hand, effugia servitutis & doloris sunt, as that Laconian lad cast himself headlong (non serviam aiebat puer) to be freed of his misery:

4876.BurtonPrinted page 215, k: “Vit. Herculis.” Life of Hercules.

4878.BurtonPrinted page 215, star: “Persius.” Printed attribution retained; the accompanying editorial note identifies the source.

4879.BurtonPrinted page 215, l: “Quid est miserius in vita, quam velle mori? Seneca.” “What is more wretched in life than to wish to die?” Seneca.

4881.BurtonPrinted page 216, m: “Tom. 2. Libello, an graviores passiones, &c.” “Volume 2, in the short treatise Whether the passions are more severe, etc.” The abbreviated reference is retained.

4882.BurtonPrinted page 216, n: “Ter.” Terence.

4885.BurtonPrinted page 216, o: “Patet exitus; si pugnare non vultis licet fugere; quis vos tenet invitos? De provid. cap. 8.” “The exit stands open; if you do not wish to fight, you may flee. Who holds you against your will?” On Providence, chapter 8, as printed.

4886.BurtonPrinted page 216, star: “Agamus Deo gratias quod nemo invitus in vita teneri potest.” “Let us thank God that no one can be kept alive against his will.”

4887.BurtonPrinted page 216, dagger: “Epist. 26. Seneca & de sacra. 2. cap. 15. & Epist. 70. & 12.” Seneca, Letter 26, and “de sacra,” book 2, chapter 15, and Letters 70 and 12. The anomalous printed title is retained.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Section 4 Member 1 Prognosis of Melancholy

p. 413

And a melancholy man is the true Prometheus, bound to the Caucasus; the true Tityus, whose entrails a vulture continually devours, as the poets imagine. For Lilio Giraldi interprets it in this way, as anxieties and those gnawing cares, and so it should be understood.

In all other illnesses we seek help. If a leg or an arm aches through some disorder or wound, or we have an ordinary disease, above everything else we desire help and health, an immediate recovery, if it can possibly be obtained. We will freely part with all our other possessions and wealth, endure any misery, drink bitter potions, swallow those unpleasant pills, allow our limbs to be cauterized or cut off—anything for future health. So sweet, so dear, so precious above everything else in this world is life: it is what we chiefly desire, long and happy days. “Grant me many years, Jupiter”: everyone wishes for more years. But to a melancholy man nothing is so wearisome, nothing so hateful. What others seek so carefully to preserve, he alone abhors; his pains are so intolerable.

Some debate “whether illnesses of the body or of the mind are more severe,” but there is no comparison, no room for doubt: “For the torment of the mind is much fiercer and far more terrible than that of the body” (Lemnius, book 1, chapter 12). Diseases of the mind are far more severe. “Here the whole body is one wound”: body and soul are afflicted here, but especially the soul. So Cardan testifies in On the Variety of Things, book 8, chapter 40. Maximus of Tyre, a Platonist, and Plutarch have written entire volumes to prove it. “Time takes people’s grief away”: in other diseases there is generally some hope, but these unhappy men are born to misery, beyond all hope of recovery, incurably ill. The longer they live, the worse they become, and death alone must ease them.

Some philosophers raise another question: whether it is lawful for a man in such extreme pain and grief to kill himself, and how those who do so should be judged. The Platonists approve it, holding it lawful in such cases and under necessity: Plotinus, On Happiness, chapter 7. Socrates himself defends it in Plato’s Phaedo: “If anyone suffers from an incurable disease, he may kill himself, if it is for his good.”

Epicurus and his followers, and the Cynics and Stoics generally, affirm it—Epictetus and Seneca among the rest: “Any path is a true path to freedom,” any way is allowable that leads to liberty. “Let us thank God that no man is compelled to live against his will.” “What do bars, prison or guards matter to a man? He has an open door”: death is always ready and at hand. “Do you see that steep place, that river?” Do you see that steep place, that river, that pit, that tree? Freedom is at hand: “They are ways of escape from slavery and pain.” So that Spartan boy threw himself headlong to be freed from his misery: “I will not be a slave,” the boy said.

4877.Titius is normalized to Tityus. Burton treats the punishments of Prometheus and Tityus as allegories of anxiety: “still” means continually, “fain” invent or imagine, and “griping” gnawing or painfully clutching. Lilius Geraldus is Lilio Gregorio Giraldi; the exact passage in his Life of Hercules remains for verification.

4880.“Distemperature” means disorder; “present” immediate; “substance” wealth; “joynts” limbs or joints; “seared” cauterized. The Jupiter quotation is Juvenal, Satire 10.188, not Persius as the margin states. Its translation precedes Burton’s English gloss. The marginal question adapts Seneca the Elder, Controversies 8.4, which has Quid est in vita miserius quam mori velle? The same declamation supplies the closing appeal for pity; it is distinct from Seneca the Younger’s philosophical works.

4883.Burton’s absolute claim about incurability is rhetorical, not a clinical prognosis. “Just volumes” means entire volumes. Totum hic pro vulnere corpus adapts Lucan, Civil War 9.814, where est replaces hic: Tullus’s whole body bleeds after a snakebite. The Terence tag comes from The Self-Tormentor 421–424: diem adimere aegritudinem hominibus is a reported saying that Menedemus doubts because his grief increases. Burton makes it a standalone assertion. Lemnius, Cardan and the Maximus/Plutarch allocation remain uncollated.

4884.“Censured” means judged; “dispatch himself” means kill himself. Plotinus, Ennead 1.4.7 (On Happiness), discusses the sage’s freedom under misfortune and captivity; section 8 turns to severe pain. MacKenna’s translation supplies a contextual comparison, not proof of Burton’s immediate text. In Plato, Phaedo 61c–62c, Socrates says that one ordinarily may not kill oneself and must await necessity sent by a god. Burton’s particular claim about incurable disease is not a direct quotation of that passage; his intermediary remains unidentified.

4888.Burton combines and adapts Senecan passages. Patet exitus comes from Seneca the Younger, On Providence 6.7, within a speech assigned to God; the printed chapter 8 remains unchanged. Compare On Anger 3.15.3–4 for the images of exits from bondage. The marginal de sacra. 2. cap. 15. is anomalous and remains unrepaired. Laconian means Spartan. The compilation’s remaining letter references and intermediary need fuller collation. Burton’s English amplifications and the fresh Latin translations are both retained.

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.

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