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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 MelancholyB

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Facing Pages · Branch 1071 of 1495

B

Book Mode

1651 English

unnumbered Table

B

Banishments effects 170. his cure and Antidote 339

Bald lascivious 603

Barrenness what grievances it causeth 171

Barrenness cause of Jealousie 603

Barren grounds have best ayr 260

Bashfulness a symptome of melanch. 187 of love melancholy 502. cured 396

Baseness of birth no disparagement 312

Bathes rectified 237

Bawds a cause of love-melancholy 498

Bawm good against melanch. 368

Beasts and birds in love 436

Beats of lovers 494

Biefe a melancholy meat 66

Beer censured 71

Best site of an house 261

Beauties definition 404. cure of mel. 467 described 462. in parts 463. commendation 453. attractive power, prerogatives, excellencie, how it causeth mel. 456.468. makes grievous wounds, irresistible, 461. more beholding to art then nature 469. brittle and uncertain 560. censured 562. a cause of jealousie 601. beauty of God 634

Bezoars stone good against melanch. 392

Black eyes best 464

Black spots in the nailes signs of mel. 58

Black man a pearl in a womans eye 464

Blasphemy how pardonable 713

Blindness of lovers 519

Blood-letting when and how cure of melanch. 384

Blood-letting and purging, how causes of melancholy 80

Blow on the head cause of melanch. 176

Body melancholy his causes 178

Bodily symptomes of melancholy 178. of love-melancholy 503

Bodily exercises 268. body how it works on the mind 89.174.189

Books of all sorts 280,281

Borage and Bugloss, soveraign herbs against melanch. 370. their wines and juyce most excellent 374

Brain distempered how cause of melancholy 174. his parts anatomised 19

Bread and beer how causes of mel. 70

Brow and fore-head which are most pleasing 463

Brute beasts jealous 594

Business the best cure of love mel. 545

unnumbered Table

The Anatomy of Melancholy: B

p. 1071

B

The effects of banishment, 170; its cure and antidote, 339.

Bald men as lustful. 603

The distress caused by infertility. 171

Infertility as a cause of jealousy. 603

Barren land has the best air. 260

Bashfulness as a symptom of melancholy, 187; of love melancholy, 502; its cure, 396.

Humble birth is no disgrace. 312

Bathing properly regulated. 237

Procurers as a cause of love melancholy. 498

Balm as a remedy for melancholy. 368

Beasts and birds in love. 436

Lovers’ baits. 494

Beef as a food that produces melancholy. 66

Beer criticized. 71

The best location for a house. 261

Beauty defined, 404; as a cure for melancholy, 467; described, 462; in particular features, 463; praised, 453. Its power to attract, advantages and excellence; how it causes melancholy, 456,468. It inflicts grievous wounds and is irresistible, 461. It owes more to art than to nature, 469; is fragile and uncertain, 560; is criticized, 562; is a cause of jealousy, 601. The beauty of God, 634.

Bezoar stone as a remedy for melancholy. 392

Black eyes are best. 464

Black spots on the nails as signs of melancholy. 58

The black man as a pearl in a woman’s eye. 464

How blasphemy may be forgiven. 713

The blindness of lovers. 519

When and how bloodletting cures melancholy. 384

How bloodletting and purging cause melancholy. 80

A blow to the head as a cause of melancholy. 176

The causes of melancholy throughout the body. 178

Bodily symptoms of melancholy, 178; of love melancholy, 503.

Physical exercises, 268. How the body affects the mind, 89,174,189.

Books of every kind. 280,281

Borage and bugloss as sovereign herbs against melancholy, 370; their wines and juice as excellent remedies, 374.

How a disordered brain causes melancholy, 174; its parts examined anatomically, 19.

How bread and beer cause melancholy. 70

Which brows and foreheads are most attractive. 463

Jealousy in beasts. 594

Occupation as the best cure for love melancholy. 545

1071

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.