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Robert Burton

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 MelancholyMember 3 Against Poverty and Want and Other Such Adversities

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1651 English Page · Branch 560 of 1495

Member 3 Against Poverty and Want and Other Such Adversities

Book Mode

1651 English

325–326

Nec spes corde avidas, nec curam pascit inanem, Securus quo fata cadant.

He is not troubled with state matters, whether kingdomes thrive better by succession or election; whether Monarchies should be mixt, temperate, or absolute; the house of Ottomons and Austria is all one to him; he enquires not after Colonies or new discoveries; whether Peter were at Rome, or Constantines donation be of force; what comets or new stars signifie, whether the earth stand or move, there be a new world in the Moon, or infinite worlds, &c. He is not touched with fear of invasions, factions, or emulations;

Felix ille animi, divisque simillimus ipsis, Quem non mordaci resplendens gloria fuco Solicitat, non fastosi mala gaudia luxus, Sed tacitos sinit ire dies, & paupere cultu Exigit innocuæ tranquilla silentia vitæ.An happy Soule, and like to God himself, Whom not vain glory macerates or strife, Or wicked joyes of that proud swelling pelfe, But leads a still, poor and contented life.

A secure, quiet, blissful state he hath, if he could acknowledge it.

But here is the misery, that he will not take notice of it; he repines at rich mens wealth, brave hangings, dainty fare, as Simonides objecteth to Hieron, he hath all the pleasures of the world, in lectis eburneis dormit, vinum phialis bibit, optimis unguentis delibuitur, he knows not the affliction of Joseph, stretching himself on ivory beds, and singing to the sound of the viol.

And it troubles him that he hath not the like; there is a difference (he grumbles) between Laplolly and Phesants, to tumble i’th’ straw and lye in a down-bed, betwixt wine and water, a cottage and a palace.

He hates nature (as Pliny characterizeth him) that she hath made him lower then a God, and is angry with the Gods that any man goes before him, and although he hath received much, yet (as Seneca followes it) he thinks it an injury that he hath no more, and is so far from giving thanks for his Tribuneship, that he complains he is not Pretor, neither doth that please him, except he may be Consul.

Why is he not a Prince, why not a Monarch, why not an Emperour? Why should one man have so much more then his fellowes, one have all, another nothing? Why should one man be a slave or drudge to another? One surfeit, another starve, one live at ease, another labour, without any hope of better fortune? Thus they grumble, mutter, and repine: Not considering that inconstancy of humane affairs, judicially conferring one condition with another, or well weighing their own present estate.

What they are now, thou mayst shortly be; and what thou art they shall likely be. Expect a little, confer future and times past with the present, see the event, and comfort thy self with it. It is as well to be discerned in Common-wealths, Cities, Families, as in private mens estates.

6722.BurtonPrinted page 326, x: “Politianus in Rustico.” Poliziano, in Rusticus.

6723.BurtonPrinted page 326, y: “Gyges regno Lydiæ inflatus sciscitatum misit Apollinem an quis mortalium se felicior esset. Aglaum Arcadum pauperimum Apollo prætulit, qui terminos agri sui nunquam excesserat, rure suo contentus. Val. lib. 1. c. 7.” Gyges, puffed up by his kingdom of Lydia, sent to ask Apollo whether any mortal was happier than he. Apollo preferred Aglaus, the poorest of the Arcadians, who had never passed beyond the bounds of his land and was content with his farm. Valerius, book 1, chapter 7, as printed.

6725.BurtonPrinted page 326, z: “Hor. hæc est Vita solutorum miserâ ambitione, gravique.” Horace: this is the life of those released from wretched, oppressive ambition.

6726.BurtonPrinted page 326, dagger: “Amos 6.” Amos, chapter 6.

6729.BurtonPrinted page 326, asterisk: “Præfat. lib. 7. Odit naturam quod infra deos sit; irascitur diis quod quis ibi antecedat.” Preface to book 7: he hates nature because he is beneath the gods; he is angry with the gods because anyone ranks above him there.

6730.BurtonPrinted page 326, dagger: “De ira cap. 31, lib. 3. Etsi multum acceperit, injuriam putat plura non accepisse; non agit pro tribunatu gratias, sed queritur quod non sit ad præturam perductus; neque hæc grata, si desit consulatus.” On Anger, book 3, chapter 31: even if he has received much, he thinks it an injury not to have received more; he gives no thanks for the tribuneship, but complains that he has not been advanced to the praetorship, nor is that welcome if the consulship is lacking.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Member 3 Against Poverty and Want and Other Such Adversities

p. 560

He nourishes neither greedy hopes nor empty care in his heart, Untroubled by how the fates may fall.

He is untroubled by affairs of state: whether kingdoms prosper better through hereditary succession or election; whether monarchies should be mixed, limited, or absolute. The Ottoman and Austrian houses are all the same to him. He does not inquire about colonies or new discoveries; whether Peter was in Rome, or Constantine’s Donation has legal force; what comets or new stars signify; whether the earth stands still or moves; whether there is a new world in the moon, or infinitely many worlds, and so on. He is untouched by fear of invasions, factions, or rivalries.

Happy in spirit, and most like the gods themselves, Is he whom glory, glittering in corrosive paint, does not entice, Nor the evil pleasures of arrogant luxury; He lets his days pass quietly and, living simply, Spends an innocent life in tranquil silence.

A happy soul, like God himself, Worn down neither by vain glory nor by strife, Nor by the wicked pleasures of that proud, swollen wealth, But leading a quiet, poor, contented life.

He enjoys a safe, quiet, blissful condition, if only he could recognise it.

But here is the misery: he refuses to recognise it. He envies the rich their wealth, splendid tapestries, and delicate food. As Simonides puts it to Hiero, the rich man has all the pleasures of the world: “He sleeps on ivory beds, drinks wine from bowls, and anoints himself with the finest ointments”; he knows nothing of Joseph’s affliction, stretching himself on ivory beds and singing to the sound of the viol.

It troubles him that he has nothing like it. There is a difference, he grumbles, between thin porridge and pheasants, between tossing in straw and lying on a down mattress, between wine and water, a cottage and a palace.

He hates nature, as Pliny describes him, for making him lower than a god, and is angry with the gods that anyone ranks above him. Although he has received much, as Seneca continues, he thinks himself wronged because he has not received more. Far from giving thanks for his tribuneship, he complains that he is not a praetor; nor does that satisfy him unless he can become consul.

Why is he not a prince, a monarch, an emperor? Why should one man have so much more than his fellows, one have everything and another nothing? Why should one man be another’s slave or drudge? Why should one gorge himself and another starve, one live at ease and another labour without any hope of better fortune? So they grumble, mutter, and complain, without considering the instability of human affairs, judiciously comparing one condition with another, or properly weighing their own present circumstances.

What they are now, you may soon become; and what you are, they may well become. Wait a little; compare the future and the past with the present, consider the outcome, and take comfort from it. This can be seen as clearly in commonwealths, cities, and families as in the circumstances of private individuals.

6720.Poliziano, Rusticus 24–25. Burton prints Nec twice where the consulted text has Non and substitutes fata, “fates,” for sceptra, “sceptres.” The modern translation follows his wording; the political context of the original helps explain the following paragraph.

6721.“Mixt” and “temperate” distinguish mixed or limited forms of monarchy from absolute rule. The Ottoman and Austrian houses are rival dynastic powers. Peter’s presence at Rome and Constantine’s Donation are controversies about ecclesiastical authority. Burton includes contemporary cosmological questions in the catalogue of worries the contented man escapes.

6724.Poliziano, Rusticus 17–21. Burton prints mordaci, “biting” or “corrosive,” for mendaci, “deceptive”; the modern version retains that difficult image. His separate English rendering replaces the plural gods with God and adds “strife.” The Gyges story is in Valerius Maximus 7.1.2, not the printed 1.7.

6727.Compare Xenophon, Hiero 1: Simonides supposes rulers enjoy greater pleasures, but Hiero argues that their pains are greater and their pleasures fewer. This is a literary dialogue, compared here in English translation. The z note actually quotes Horace, Satires 1.6.128–129, on freedom from ambition. The following luxury images adapt Amos 6:4–6: ivory beds, wine, ointments, music and indifference to Joseph’s affliction.

6728.“Laplolly,” a form of loblolly, is thin porridge or gruel. “Brave” means splendid, and “repine” means fret or complain enviously. The sequence gives concrete voice to objections against Burton’s praise of poverty.

6731.Tribune, praetor, and consul are Roman public offices, here forming a ladder of unsatisfied ambition. Seneca, On Anger 3.31.1–2, supplies the complaint that receiving much still seems insufficient and the progression from praetor to consul. Burton adapts it, adding the tribuneship. The exact Pliny formulation remains unlocated in the consulted opening of Natural History 7.

6732.“Judicially conferring” means judiciously comparing; “estate” means one’s condition or circumstances. Burton answers the complaints by invoking the instability of fortune, which becomes the following discussion’s subject. His account of poverty remains a consolatory argument, including its tensions and sweeping judgements.

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.