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 MelancholyDemocritus Junior to the Reader

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1651 English Page · Branch 79 of 1495

Democritus Junior to the Reader

Book Mode

1651 English

48–49–49

Or whereas they be illiterate, ignorant, Empericks in policie, ubi deest facultas, virtus (Aristot. pol. 5. cap. 8.) & scientia, wise only by inheritance, and in authority by birth-right, favour, or for their wealth and titles; there must needs be a fault, a great defect: because as an old Philosopher affirms, such men are not alwayes fit. Of an infinite number, few alone are Senators, and of those few, fewer good, and of that small number of honest good and noble men, few that are learned, wise, discreet and sufficient, able to discharge such places, it must needs turn to the confusion of a State.

For as the Princes are, so are the people: Qualis Rex, talis grex: and which Antigonus right well said of old, qui Macedoniæ regem erudit, omnes etiam subditos erudit, he that teacheth the King of Macedon, teacheth all his subjects, is a true saying still. For Princes are the glass, the school, the book, Where subjects eyes do learn, do reade, do look,

——Velocius & citius nos Corrumpunt vitiorum exempla domestica, magnis Cum subeant animos authoribus—— their examples are soonest followed, vices entertained, if they be prophane, irreligious, lascivious, riotous, Epicures, factious, covetous, ambitious, illiterate, so will the commons most part be, idle, unthrifts, prone to lust, drunkards, and therefore poor and needy (ἡ πενία στάσιν ἐμποιεῖ καὶ κακουργίαν, for poverty begets sedition and villany)

upon all occasions ready to mutine and rebel, discontent still, complaining, murmuring, grudging, apt to all outrages, thefts, treasons, murders, innovations, in debt, shifters, cozeners, outlaws, Profligatæ famæ ac vitæ. It was an old Politicians Aphorism, They that are poor and bad, envie rich, hate good men, abhor the present government, wish for a new, and would have all turned topsie turvie. When Cateline rebelled in Rome, he got a company of such deboshed rogues together, they were his familiars and coadjutors, and such have been your rebels most part in all ages, Jack Cade, Tom Straw, Kette, & his companions.

Where they be generally riotous and contentious, where there be many discords, many laws, many law-suits, many Lawyers, and many Physitians, it is a manifest sign of a distempered, melancholy state, as Plato long since maintained: for where such kinde of men swarm, they will make more work for themselves, and that body politick diseased, which was otherwise sound.

844.Burton[p. 48, m; continuing along the foot] For most part we mistake the name of Politicians, accounting such as reade Machiavel and Tacitus, great statesmen, that can dispute of political precepts, supplant and overthrow their adversaries, enrich themselves, get honours, dissemble; but what is this to the bene esse, or preservation of a Common-wealth? Editor: Bene esse means “well-being.” Burton distinguishes the welfare of the community from the political skill of advancing oneself.

845.Burton[p. 49, n] Imperium suapte sponte corruit. Editor: “Political power collapses of its own accord.” No author is named.

846.Burton[p. 49, o] Apul. Prim. Flor. Ex innumerabilibus, pauci Senatores genere nobiles, è consularibus pauci boni, è bonis adhuc pauci eruditi. Editor: “Apuleius, first book of the Florida. Out of countless people, few senators noble by birth; of men of consular rank, few good; of the good, still fewer learned.” Compare Florida 8. Burton compresses and adapts its progression through increasingly select groups; his body text expands it again.

847.Burton[p. 49, a] Non solum vitia concipiunt ipsi principes, sed etiam infundunt in civitatem, plusque exemplo quam peccato nocent. Cic. 1. de legibus. Editor: “Rulers not only conceive vices themselves but pour them into the community, doing more harm by their example than by their sin.” The passage is Cicero, On the Laws 3.32, rather than the printed book 1.

848.Burton[p. 49, b] Epist. ad Zen. Editor: “Letter to Zeno.” Antigonus’ invitation to the philosopher is preserved in Diogenes Laertius, Lives of Eminent Philosophers 7.7; educating a king also benefits those he rules.

850.Burton[p. 49, unlettered] Juven. Sat. 4. Editor: Juvenal’s lines occur in Satire 14.31–33, not Satire 4. Their immediate subject is the corrupting example of parents; Burton applies the principle to rulers.

851.Burton[p. 49, unlettered] Paupertas seditionem gignit & maleficium, Arist. pol. 2. c. 7. Editor: “Poverty produces civil strife and wrongdoing. Aristotle, Politics 2.7.” The parallel is at 1265b, in book 2, chapter 6 in many modern divisions. The Greek in the body and Burton’s following English restatement both remain represented on the right.

852.Burton[p. 49, c] Salust. Semper in civitate quibus opes nullæ sunt bonis invident, vetera odere, nova exoptant, odio suarum rerum mutari omnia petunt. Editor: “Sallust. In a community those without resources always envy the prosperous, hate the old order, long for the new, and in hatred of their own circumstances seek to change everything.” Adapted from The War with Catiline 37.3; Burton omits a clause and changes some wording.

854.Burton[p. 49, d] De legibus. Profligatæ in repub. disciplinæ est indicium jurisperitorum numerus, & medicorum copia. Editor: “On the Laws. A sign of ruined discipline in a commonwealth is the number of legal experts and the abundance of physicians.” The clear parallel is Plato, Republic 3, 405a–b: proliferating courts and medical practices indicate disorder. Burton adds the claim that practitioners themselves create more work and disease.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Democritus Junior to the Reader

p. 79

Or where they are uneducated, ignorant, untrained practitioners of politics, “where ability, virtue, and knowledge are lacking” (Aristotle, Politics 5.8), wise only by inheritance and holding authority through birthright, favour, wealth, or titles: there must be something wrong, a grave defect. For, as an ancient philosopher affirms, such men are not always qualified. “Out of countless people only a few are senators; of those few, fewer are good; and of that small number of honourable, good, and noble men, few are learned, wise, sensible, and competent to discharge such offices.” The result must be the disorder of the state.

For as the rulers are, so are the people: “As the king, so the flock.” What Antigonus rightly said long ago remains true: “Whoever educates the king of Macedon educates all his subjects too.” He who teaches the king of Macedon teaches all his subjects. For rulers are the mirror, school, and book Where subjects’ eyes learn, read, and look.

Examples of vice at home corrupt us More swiftly and quickly, entering our minds With powerful authorities behind them. Their examples are the first to be followed, their vices the first to be adopted. If rulers are profane, irreligious, lecherous, extravagant pleasure-seekers, factional, greedy, ambitious, and uneducated, most of the common people will be so too: idle, wasteful, lustful, drunken, and therefore poor and needy. (“Poverty produces civil strife and wrongdoing”: for poverty breeds sedition and villainy.)

They are ready on any occasion to mutiny and rebel; always discontented, complaining, muttering, and resentful; prone to every outrage, theft, treason, murder, and upheaval; in debt, schemers, cheats, outlaws, “ruined in reputation and way of life.” An ancient political writer had this maxim: “The poor and wicked envy the rich, hate good men, detest the present government, wish for another, and want everything turned upside down.” When Catiline rebelled at Rome, he gathered such a company of debauched rogues: these were his intimates and accomplices. Such, for the most part, have been your rebels in every age—Jack Cade, Tom Straw, Kett and his companions.

Where people are generally disorderly and quarrelsome, where there are many disputes, many laws, many lawsuits, many lawyers, and many physicians, this clearly signals a disordered, melancholy state, as Plato maintained long ago. For where such men swarm, they will create more work for themselves and make a political body sick that would otherwise have been healthy.

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.