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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 MelancholyDemocritus Junior to the Reader

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Facing Pages · Branch 109 of 1495

Democritus Junior to the Reader

Book Mode

1651 English

72–73

Nevisanus hath as hard an opinion of rich men, wealth and wisdom cannot dwell together, stultitiam patiuntur opes, and they do commonly infatuare cor hominis, besot men; and as we see it, fools have fortune: Sapientia non invenitur in terra suaviter viventium.

For beside a natural contempt of learning, which accompanies such kinde of men, innate idlenesse, (for they will take no pains) and which Aristotle observes, ubi mens plurima, ibi minima fortuna, ubi plurima fortuna, ibi mens perexigua, great wealth and little wit go commonly together: they have as much brains some of them in their heads as in their heels; besides this inbred neglect of liberal sciences, and all Arts, which should excolere mentem, polish the minde, they have most part some gullish humor or other, by which they are led;

one is an Epicure, an Atheist, a second a gamester, a third a whoremaster, (fit subjects all for a Satyrist to work upon,) —— Hic nuptarum insanit amoribus, hic puerorum, one is mad of hawking, hunting, cocking; another of carousing, horse-riding, spending; a fourth of building, fighting, &c.

Insanit veteres statuas Damasippus emendo, Damasippus hath an humor of his own, to be talkt of: Heliodorus the Carthaginian another. In a word, as Scaliger concludes of them all, they are Statuæ erectæ stultitiæ, the very statues or pillars of folly.

Chuse out of all stories him that hath been most admired, you shall still find, multa ad laudem, multa ad vituperationem magnifica, as Berosus of Semiramis; omnes mortales militia, triumphis, divitiis, &c. tum & luxu, cæde, cæterisque vitiis antecessit, as she had some good, so had she many bad parts.

Alexander, a worthy man, but furious in his anger, overtaken in drink: Cæsar and Scipio valiant and wise, but vain-glorious, ambitious: Vespasian a worthy Prince, but covetous: Hannibal, as he had mighty vertues, so had he many vices; unam virtutem mille vitia comitantur, as Machiavel of Cosmus Medices, he had two distinct persons in him.

I will determine of them all, they are like these double or turning pictures, stand before you see a fair maid, on the one side an ape, on the other an owl: look upon them at the first sight all is wel, but farther examine, you shall finde them wise on the one side, and fools on the other; in some few things praise worthy, in the rest incomparably faulty. I will say nothing of their diseases, emulations, discontents, wants, and such miseries; let poverty plead the rest in Aristophanes Plutus.

1202.Burtonp. 72, k: “Lib. 1. num. 11 sapientia & divitiæ vix simul possideri possunt.” Editor: “Book 1, number 11: wisdom and riches can scarcely be possessed together.” The reference continues the citation of Nevizanus; not independently collated.

1203.Burtonp. 72, l: “They get their wisdom by eating Piecrust some.” Editor: A sarcastic suggestion that some acquire their supposed wisdom simply through eating well; the particular proverbial source remains unlocated.

1204.Burtonp. 72, m: “Χρήματα τοῖς θνητοῖς γίνεται ἀφροσύνη. Opes quidem mortalibus sunt amentia. Theognis.” Editor: “Wealth becomes folly for mortals”; the Latin restates, “Riches indeed are madness for mortals.” Greek accents and letterforms are regularized; the tiny printed article before θνητοῖς is read provisionally as τοῖς. The quotation requires collation with Theognis.

1205.Burtonp. 72, n: “Fortuna nimium quem fovet, stultum facit.” Editor: “Fortune makes a fool of the person she favours too much.” No source is named. With no clear matching body letter, this is provisionally attached to “fools have fortune.”

1206.Burtonp. 72, o: “Job. 28.” Editor: Compare Job 28:13. Burton’s wording takes wisdom to be absent from the land of those living comfortably; the modern rendering follows his Latin. Biblical editions differ here, and the consulted Nova Vulgata has simply “the land of the living.”

1207.Burtonp. 72, p: “Mag. moral. lib. 2. & lib. 1. sat. 4.” Editor: Magna Moralia, book 2, attributed to Aristotle; the appended “book 1, satire 4” belongs to a different kind of work and anticipates the Horace reference repeated on p. 73. The composite entry is retained; the Aristotle passage remains uncollated.

1208.Burtonp. 73, q: “Hor. ser. 1. sat. 4.” Editor: Horace, Satires 1.4.27, the line contrasting desire for married women and for boys.

1209.Burtonp. 73, r: “Insana gula, insanæ obstructiones, insanum venandi studium discordia demens. Virg. Æn.” Editor: “Mad gluttony, mad obstructions, a mad passion for hunting, demented discord. Virgil, Aeneid.” The printed obstructiones is retained. No book or line is given; the entry gathers several phrases whose individual sources remain uncollated.

1211.Burtonp. 73, s: “Heliodorus Carthaginensis ad extremum orbis sarcophago testamento me hic jussi condier, & ut viderem an quis insanior ad me visendii usq. ad hæc loca penetraret. Ortelius in Gad.” Editor: “I, Heliodorus the Carthaginian, ordered in my will that I be buried here in a sarcophagus at the world’s end, to see whether anyone madder would make his way to these places to visit me.” Ortelius’s Gades map text, on Cadiz, contains the purported inscription; the consulted transcription has visendum. Burton’s doubtful visendii is retained. Locating the literary source does not authenticate the inscription.

1213.Burtonp. 73, t: “If it be his work, which Gasper Veretus suspects.” Editor: Burton himself questions the attribution to Berosus. The identity and passage of “Gasper Veretus” remain unresolved; no authentic work by Berosus is asserted here.

1214.Burtonp. 73, u: “Livy. Ingentes virtutes ingentia vitia.” Editor: “Great virtues, great vices.” Burton cites Livy for the contrast in Hannibal’s character; the precise wording has not been collated.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Democritus Junior to the Reader

p. 109

Nevizanus has an equally harsh opinion of rich men: wealth and wisdom cannot live together; riches admit folly, and commonly make the human heart foolish, stupefying people. As we see for ourselves, fools are lucky. Wisdom is not found in the land of those who live at ease.

Besides the natural contempt for learning and inborn idleness of such men, who will take no pains, there is Aristotle’s observation: where intelligence is greatest, fortune is least; where fortune is greatest, intelligence is very small. Great wealth and little wit commonly go together. Some have as much brain in their heads as in their heels. Besides this ingrained neglect of the liberal sciences and all the arts that should cultivate the mind, polish it, most have some foolish whim or other that governs them;

one is a sensualist or atheist, a second a gambler, a third a womaniser, all fit subjects for a satirist: One is mad with desire for married women, another for boys. One is mad about hawking, hunting, and cockfighting; another about carousing, riding, and spending; a fourth about building or fighting, and so on.

Damasippus goes mad buying old statues. He has a whim of his own that makes him talked about; Heliodorus the Carthaginian has another. In a word, as Scaliger concludes of them all, they are statues erected to folly, the very statues or pillars of foolishness.

Choose from all history the most admired person, and you will still find great things to praise and great things to condemn. As Berosus says of Semiramis, she surpassed all mortals in warfare, triumphs, and riches, and also in luxury, slaughter, and other vices. She had some good qualities, and many bad ones.

Alexander was a worthy man, but violent in his anger and overcome by drink. Caesar and Scipio were brave and wise, but vain and ambitious. Vespasian was a worthy ruler, but avaricious. Hannibal had great virtues and many vices: a thousand vices accompany one virtue. As Machiavelli says of Cosimo de’ Medici, he had two distinct persons within him.

My verdict on them all is that they resemble those changing pictures: stand in front and you see a pretty girl; from one side, an ape; from the other, an owl. At first glance all looks well, but examine them further and you find wisdom on one side and folly on the other, a few things deserving praise and the rest faulty beyond comparison. I will say nothing of their diseases, rivalries, discontents, wants, and similar miseries; let Poverty plead the rest in Aristophanes’ Wealth.

1210.“Epicure” is Burton’s polemical term for a person devoted to sensual pleasure. “Cocking” is cockfighting. The Horace line uses puerorum, “of boys”; the modern version retains its age-specific wording.

1212.Damasippus’s compulsive statue-buying appears in Horace, Satires 2.3.64. The marginal epitaph makes Heliodorus’s remote burial a challenge to the next fool willing to travel there. The following “statues of folly” turns the collector’s objects into an image of the collectors themselves.

1215.The “turning pictures” display different images from different viewing angles; Burton makes their changing appearance a figure for mixed character. In Aristophanes’ Plutus, or Wealth, Poverty argues her own case. Burton lets her carry forward the criticism he leaves unfinished.

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.