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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 4 Subsection 1 Symptoms or Signs of Love Melancholy in Body and Mind…

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Member 4 Subsection 1 Symptoms or Signs of Love Melancholy in Body and Mind…

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1651 English

539–540

Our new Ariostoes, Boyards, Authors of Arcadia, Urania, Fairy Queen, &c. Marullus, Leotichius, Angerianus, Stroza, Secundus, Capellanus, &c. with the rest of those facete modern Poets, have written in this kind, are but as so many Symptoms of Love. Their whole books are a Synopsis or breviary of Love, the portuous of Love, Legends of Lovers lives and deaths, and of their memorable adventures;

Nay more, quod leguntur, quod laudantur amori debent, as Nevisanus the Lawyer holds, there never was any excellent Poet, that invented good fables, or made laudable verses, which was not in love himself; had he not taken a quill from Cupids wings, he could never have written so amorously as he did.

Cynthia te vatem fecit lascive Properti, Ingenium Galli pulchra Lycoris habet. Fama est arguti Nemesis formosa Tibulli, Lesbia dictavit docte Catulle tibi. Non me Pelignus, nec spernet Mantua vatem, Si qua Corinna mihi, si quis Alexis erit.Wanton Propertius, and witty Gallus, Subtile Tibullus, and learned Catullus, It was Cynthia, Lesbia, Lychoris, That made you Poets all; and if Alexis, Or Corinna chance my Paramour to be, Virgil and Ovid shall not despise me.Non me carminibus vincet nec Thraceus Orpheus, Nec Linus.

Petrarchs Laura made him so famous, Astrophels Stella, and Jovianus Pontanus Mistress was the cause of his Roses, Violets, Lillies, Nequitiæ, blanditiæ, joci, decor, Nardus, Ver, Corolla, Thus, Mars, Pallas, Venus, Charis, Crocum, Laurus, Unguentum, Costum, Lachrymæ, Myrrha, Musæ, &c. and the rest of his Poems; why are Italians at this day generally so good Poets and Painters? because every man of any fashion amongst them hath his Mistress.

The very rusticks and hog-rubbers, Menalcas and Coridon, qui fætant de stercore equino, those fulsome knaves, if once they taste of this Love liquor, are inspired in an instant. Instead of those accurate Emblems, curious Impreses, gaudy masques, Tilts, Turnaments, &c. They have their Wakes, Whitson-ales, Shepheards feasts, meetings on holy days, country dances, roundelays, writing their names on trees, true lovers knots, pretty gifts.

With tokens, hearts divided, and half rings, Shepheards in their Loves are as coy as Kings.

Choosing Lords, Ladies, Kings, Queens, and Valentines, &c. they go by couples,

Coridons Phillis, Nysa and Mopsus, With daynty Dousibel and Sir Tophus.

Instead of Odes, Epigrams and Elegies, &c. they have their Ballads, country tunes, O the Broom, the bonny bonny Broom, Ditties and Songs, Bess a Bell she doth excel, —— they must write likewise and indicte all in rime.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Member 4 Subsection 1 Symptoms or Signs of Love Melancholy in Body and Mind…

p. 822

our modern Ariostos and Boiardos, the authors of Arcadia, Urania and The Faerie Queene; Marullus, Leotichius, Angerianus, Stroza, Secundus, Capellanus, and the other witty modern poets who have written in this vein: all are so many symptoms of love. Their entire books are a synopsis or compendium of love, love’s breviary, legends of lovers’ lives and deaths and of their memorable adventures.

More than that, “they owe it to love that they are read and praised.” As the lawyer Nevisanus maintains, “There was never an excellent poet who invented good tales or composed admirable verse without being in love himself.” Had he not taken a quill from Cupid’s wings, he could never have written as amorously as he did.

Cynthia made you a poet, wanton Propertius; Beautiful Lycoris holds Gallus’s inspiration. Lovely Nemesis is the fame of subtle Tibullus; Lesbia dictated to you, learned Catullus. Neither the Paelignian nor Mantua will scorn me as a poet, If I have a Corinna or an Alexis.

Wanton Propertius, and witty Gallus, Subtle Tibullus, and learned Catullus: Cynthia, Lesbia and Lycoris Made poets of you all; and if Alexis Or Corinna happens to become my lover, Virgil and Ovid shall not despise me.

Neither Thracian Orpheus nor Linus Will surpass me in song.

Petrarch’s Laura made him so famous; Stella did the same for Astrophel. Jovianus Pontanus’s mistress inspired his Roses, Violets, Lilies, Wantonness, Caresses, Jests, Beauty, Spikenard, Spring, Garland, Frankincense, Mars, Pallas, Venus, Grace, Saffron, Laurel, Perfume, Costus, Tears, Myrrh, Muses and his other poems. Why are Italians nowadays generally such good poets and painters? Because every man of any standing among them has his mistress.

Even the country folk and pig-tenders, Menalcas and Corydon, “who stink of horse dung”—those foul fellows—are instantly inspired once they taste this liquor of love. Instead of carefully wrought emblems, intricate symbolic devices, splendid masques, jousts and tournaments, they have their wakes, Whitsun ales, shepherds’ feasts, holiday gatherings, country dances, roundelays, names carved on trees, true lovers’ knots and pretty gifts.

With keepsakes, divided hearts and half-rings, Shepherds in love are as fastidious as kings.

Choosing lords, ladies, kings, queens and valentines, they go in pairs,

Corydon’s Phyllis, Nysa and Mopsus, With dainty Dousibel and Sir Tophus.

Instead of odes, epigrams and elegies, they have their ballads, country tunes—“O the broom, the bonny, bonny broom”—ditties and songs—“Bess a Bell, she does excel.” They too must write, composing everything in rhyme.

10381.Arcadia, Urania and The Faerie Queene are works associated respectively with Philip Sidney, Mary Wroth and Edmund Spenser. “Facete” means witty; a portuous is a portable breviary or prayer book, extending Burton’s mock-devotional description of love literature. The Neo-Latin authors’ precise works, and the spelling Leotichius, remain to be checked.

10383.Nevisanus is Giovanni Nevizzano, author of Sylva nuptialis, the work cited in the margin. “Fables” here means invented stories. Cupid’s feather becomes the poet’s pen: the assertion is Burton’s playful generalization, not a biographical test of every poet.

10385.Martial, Epigrams 8.73.5–10 in the consulted text; Burton’s margin says book 9. His habet and Pelignus differ from erat and Paeligni. The Paelignian signifies Ovid; Mantua evokes Virgil. Alexis is a male beloved. Burton’s separate English version omits Nemesis; that omission is preserved without removing her from the Latin rendering.

10387.Virgil, Eclogue 4.55–56. Burton prints vincet, “will surpass,” where the consulted text has vincat, “may surpass.” In Virgil the speaker imagines singing the future deeds of the child celebrated in the poem; Burton reapplies the boast to poetic inspiration by love.

10388.Astrophel is the lover-persona of Sidney’s Astrophil and Stella. Pontanus is Giovanni Pontano. Burton’s catalogue of poem subjects or titles is translated, while the divine names remain names. Nard, costus, myrrh and frankincense are aromatic substances. The exact sequence and editions of Pontano’s poems remain uncollated.

10390.Menalcas and Corydon are conventional pastoral names. Wakes are local feasts; Whitsun ales are festive gatherings with ale at Whitsuntide. Imprese are symbolic devices, often with mottoes. “Fulsome” means offensive or disgusting here. The tree inscription makes the lovers’ names grow as the bark grows; Burton attributes it to Haedus.

10391.Lords, ladies, kings and queens here belong to festive games or mock courts. The pastoral and comic names are retained as names, without inventing modern equivalents. “Coy” in the preceding couplet means particular or fastidious. The precise source of these verses remains unlocated.

10392.“Indicte” means compose. The quoted song fragments preserve their repeated refrains; their precise versions remain unlocated.

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.