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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 MelancholySubsection 5 Procurers and Love Potions as Causes

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Modern English Page · Branch 783 of 1495

Subsection 5 Procurers and Love Potions as Causes

Book Mode

1651 English

502–503

These above-named remedies have happily as much power as that bath of Aix, or Venus inchanted girdle, in which saith Natalis Comes, Love toies and dalliance, pleasantness, sweetness, perswasions, subtilties, gentle speeches and all witchcraft to enforce love, was contained. Read more of these in Agrippa de occult. Philos. lib. 1. cap. 50. & 45. Malleus malefic. part. 1. quæst. 7. Delrio tom. 2. quest. 3. lib. 3. Wierus, Pomponatius cap. 8. de incantat. Ficinus lib. 13. Theol. Plat. Calcagninus, &c.

502–503

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 5 Procurers and Love Potions as Causes

p. 783

Perhaps these remedies have as much power as the bath at Aachen, or Venus’s enchanted girdle, which, according to Natale Conti, contained “love’s playfulness and dalliance, pleasure, sweetness, persuasions, cunning, gentle words, and every enchantment for compelling love.” Read more about them in Agrippa’s Occult Philosophy, book 1, chapters 50 and 45; The Hammer of Witches, part 1, question 7; Del Rio, volume 2, book 3, question 3; Weyer; Pomponazzi’s On Incantations, chapter 8; Ficino’s Platonic Theology, book 13; Calcagnini; and others.

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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.