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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 MelancholyV

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Facing Pages · Branch 1090 of 1495

V

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1651 English

unnumbered Table and closing notice

V

Vain glory described a cause of melancholy 121

Veines described 16

Valour and courage caused by love 532

Variation of the compass where 241

Variety of meats and dishes cause melan. 235

Variety of mistresses and objects a cure of melanch. 555

Variety of weather, ayr, manners, countreys, whence 248

Variety of places, change of ayr, good against mel. 262

Vegetal soul and his faculties 20

Vegetal creatures in love 436

Vegetal soul and his parts 20

Venus rectified 239

Venery a cause of mel. 79

Vertue and vice principal habits of the will. 31

Venison a mel. meat. 66

Vices of women 563

Violent misery continues not 309

Violent death prognostick of mel. 214 event of love mel. 543. of despair 545 by some defended 216. how to be censured 218

Virginity by what signs to be known 612

Virginity commended 570

Vitex or Agnus castus good against love mel. 547

Understanding defined, divided 28

Unfortunate marriages effects 111.168

Unlawful cures of mel. rejected 219

Unkind friends cause melancholy, 169

Uncharitable men described 430

Upstarts censured, their symptomes 318.327

Urine of mel. persons 179

Uxorii 599

unnumbered Table and closing notice

The Anatomy of Melancholy: V

p. 1090

V

Vainglory described as a cause of melancholy. 121

Veins described. 16

Valour and courage inspired by love. 532

Where variation of the compass occurs. 241

A variety of foods and dishes as a cause of melancholy. 235

A variety of beloved women and objects of attraction as a cure for melancholy. 555

The origins of differences in weather, air, customs and countries. 248

Variety of place and change of air as remedies for melancholy. 262

The vegetative soul and its faculties. 20

Plants in love. 436

The vegetative soul and its parts. 20

Sexual activity properly regulated. 239

Sexual intercourse as a cause of melancholy. 79

Virtue and vice as the principal dispositions of the will. 31

Venison as a food that produces melancholy. 66

The vices of women. 563

Extreme misery does not last. 309

Violent death as a prognosis of melancholy, 214; an outcome of love melancholy, 543; of despair, 545; defended by some, 216; how it should be judged, 218.

By what signs virginity may be known. 612

Virginity commended. 570

Vitex, or chaste tree, as a remedy for love melancholy. 547

The understanding defined and classified. 28

The effects of unhappy marriages. 111,168

Unlawful cures for melancholy rejected. 219

Unkind friends as a cause of melancholy. 169

Uncharitable people described. 430

Upstarts criticized; their characteristics. 318,327

The urine of melancholic people. 179

Men excessively devoted to their wives. 599

1090

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.