Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Parallel Edition
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1651 English Page · Branch 961 of 1495
Its Object, God; What His Beauty Is; How It Attracts. the Parts and People…
1651 English
642And therefore, Quid quæso mi Dorpi, as Erasmus concludes to Dorpius, hisce Theologis faciamus, aut quid preceris, nisi forte fidelem medicum, qui cerebro medeatur? What shall we wish them, but sanam mentem, and a good Physician? But more of their differences, paradoxes, opinions, mad pranks, in the Symptomes: I now hasten to the causes.
The Anatomy of Melancholy: Its Object, God; What His Beauty Is; How It Attracts. the Parts and People…
p. 961And therefore, as Erasmus concludes to Dorp: What, I ask you, my dear Dorp, are we to do with these theologians? What would you wish for them, except perhaps a trustworthy physician to treat their brains? What should we wish them but a sound mind and a good physician? But more of their differences, paradoxes, opinions and mad antics under the symptoms: I now hurry on to the causes.
Socrates
Reading The Anatomy of Melancholy · Its Object, God; What His Beauty Is; How It Attracts. the Parts and People…
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.
- PDF editionComplete annotated edition — PDF
- EPUB editionComplete annotated edition — EPUB
- Word editionComplete annotated edition — Word
- Markdown editionComplete annotated edition — Markdown
- Principal historical witnessMcGill University Library — 1651 edition
- Supplied 1651 openingBavarian State Library — supplied opening
- Independent local comparison witnessIndependent 1651 microfilm — comparison opening