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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 MelancholyTreatment of Despair Through Medicine, Good Counsel, Consolation, and So On.

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Treatment of Despair Through Medicine, Good Counsel, Consolation, and So On.

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1651 English

714

——hic murus aheneus esto,

Let this be as a bulwark, a brazen wall to defend thee, stay thy self in that certainty of faith; let that be thy comfort, CHRIST will protect thee, vindicate thee, thou art one of his flock, he will triumph over the law, vanquish death, overcome the divel, and destroy hell.

If he say thou art none of the elect, no beleever, reject him, defie him, thou hast thought otherwise, and maist so be resolved again; comfort thy self; this perswasion cannot come from the divell, and much less can it be grounded from thy self; men are lyars, and why shouldest thou distrust?

A denying Peter, a persecuting Paul, an adulterous cruell David, have been received; an Apostate Solomon may be converted; no sin at all but impenitency, can give testimony of final reprobation. Why shouldest thou then distrust, misdoubt thy self, upon what ground, what suspicion? This opinion alone of particularity?

Against that, and for the certainty of Election and salvation on the other side, see Gods good will toward men, hear how generally his grace is proposed to him, and him, and them, each man in particular, and to all. 1 Tim. 2. 4. God will that all men be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth.

’Tis an universall promise, God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved, John 3. 17. He then that acknowledgeth himself a man in the world, must likewise acknowledge he is of that number that is to be saved: Ezek. 33. 11. I will not the death of a sinner, but he that he repent and live: But thou art a sinner, therefore he will not thy death.

This is the will of him that sent me, that every man that beleeveth in the Son, should have everlasting life. John 6. 40. He would have no man perish, but all come to repentance, 2 Pet. 3. 9. Besides, remission of sins is to be preached, not to a few, but universally to all men. Go therefore and tell all Nations, baptizing them, &c. Matth. 28. 19. Go into all the world, and preach the Gospel to every creature, Mark 16. 15.

Now there cannot be contradictory wils in God; he will have all saved, and not all, how can this stand together? be secure then, beleeve, trust in him, hope well and be saved.

Yea that’s the main matter, how shall I beleeve or discern my security from carnall presumption? my faith is weak and faint, I want those signes and fruits of sanctification, sorrow for sin, thirsting for grace, groanings of the spirit, love of Christians as Christians, avoiding occasion of sin, endeavour of new obedience, charity, love of God, perseverance.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Treatment of Despair Through Medicine, Good Counsel, Consolation, and So On.

p. 1056

——let this be a wall of bronze.

Let this be a rampart, a wall of bronze to defend you. Steady yourself in that certainty of faith; let it be your comfort. CHRIST will protect and deliver you; you are one of his flock. He will triumph over the law, vanquish death, overcome the devil and destroy hell.

If he says that you are not among the elect and are no believer, reject and defy him. You have thought otherwise and may be assured of it again. Take comfort: this conviction cannot come from the devil, and still less can it be grounded in yourself; human beings are liars, and why should you distrust?

Peter who denied, Paul who persecuted, and David who was adulterous and cruel have been received; Solomon who fell away may be converted. No sin but unrepentance can testify to final rejection. Why, then, should you distrust and doubt yourself? On what grounds, on what suspicion? Merely this opinion that salvation is restricted to particular people?

Against that opinion, and in support of certainty of election and salvation, consider God’s goodwill towards humanity. Hear how universally his grace is offered to this person, that person and those people, to each individual and to all. 1 Timothy 2:4: God wills that all people be saved and come to knowledge of the truth.

It is a universal promise: God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved, John 3:17. Anyone, then, who acknowledges himself to be a person in the world must also acknowledge that he is among those to be saved. Ezekiel 33:11: I do not will a sinner’s death, but that he repent and live. But you are a sinner; therefore he does not will your death.

This is the will of him who sent me, that everyone who believes in the Son should have everlasting life, John 6:40. He wishes no one to perish, but all to come to repentance, 2 Peter 3:9. Moreover, forgiveness of sins is to be preached universally, to everyone, not merely a few. Go therefore and tell all nations, baptizing them, and so on, Matthew 28:19. Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature, Mark 16:15.

Now God cannot have contradictory wills: he wills that all be saved, and that not all be saved—how can these stand together? Be assured, then; believe, trust in him, hope for the best and be saved.

Yes, that is the main difficulty: how can I believe or distinguish my assurance from fleshly presumption? My faith is weak and faint. I lack the signs and fruits of sanctification: sorrow for sin, thirst for grace, groanings of the spirit, love of Christians as Christians, avoidance of occasions of sin, striving for renewed obedience, charity, love of God and perseverance.

13185.Horace, Epistles 1.1.60–61. In Horace the wall is a clear conscience; Burton applies the image to certainty of faith. The verse fragment and Burton’s following English expansion are both retained. Aheneus means made of bronze or brass.

13186.Stay means support or steady; vindicate here includes rescue or deliverance. The repeated fortification image translates the Latin wall into the language of spiritual protection.

13187.This perswasion has an unstable antecedent: the passage moves between the devil’s accusation and assurance of faith. The wording is retained without silently resolving the ambiguity. The next sentences return to reasons against despair.

13188.Particularity concerns election confined to particular persons, in contrast to the universal promises Burton now assembles. May be converted is retained for Solomon rather than turned into a claim that his conversion is established.

13189.The distribution to him, and him, and them insists that a general promise reaches the individual hearer. Burton’s argument concerning universal grace continues beyond this block and will include objections and competing positions.

13190.Burton frames the promises as arguments addressed to the individual sufferer. The Ezekiel quotation contains the printed irregularity but he that he, rendered according to its evident sense. Will here means desire or intend, not merely a prediction of the future.

13191.The sequence preserves the condition believes alongside the language of universality. Burton prints tell all Nations in the Matthew quotation; it is not silently replaced with teach or make disciples from other biblical texts.

13192.This is Burton’s rhetorical question within a pastoral argument. It should not be taken as a resolution of every distinction concerning divine will; the discussion of election and universal grace continues in the following discussion.

13194.The sufferer objects again. Carnall presumption means unfounded confidence rooted in the unrenewed self; security here means assurance. Sanctification is growth in holiness. The margin names Abernethy as a source for the signs.

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.