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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 MelancholyW

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Modern English Page · Branch 1091 of 1495

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Book Mode

1651 English

unnumbered Table and closing notice

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Walking, shooting, swimming, &c. good against mel. 470

Want of sleep a symptome of love mel. 503

Waking cause of mel. 88. a symptome 179 cured 287

Wanton carriage and gesture cause of love melancholy 470

Water Divels 46

Water if foul causeth mel. 70

Waters censured, their effects 71

Waters, which good 232

Waters in love 457

Wearisomness of life a symptome of melancholy 516

What physick fit in love mel. 539

Who are most apt to be jealous 597

Whores properties and conditions 465.557

Why good men are often rejected, 351

Why fools beget wise children, wisemen fools, 62

Will defined, divided, his actions, why over-ruled 29.30

Wine causeth mel. 70.119.112. a good cordial against mel. 391. forbid in love mel. 546

Wind expelled by what medicines 310

Windes in love 457

Wives censured 573. commended 588

Wittie devices against mel. 553 and 298

Wit proved by love 533

Withstand the beginnings, a principall cure of love mel. 549

Witches power, how they cause mel. 54 their transformations how caused 55. they can cure mel. 220. procure love 465 not to be sought to for help 221 nor Saints 224

Widdows mel. 203

Woodbine, Amni, Rue, Lettice, how good in love mel. 546

Women how cause of mel. 120. their vanity in apparell taxed. 473. how they cozen men. 474. by what art. 475. their counterfeit tears. 497. their vices 563 Tasks proper to them against mel. 286 commended 588

Wormwood good against mel. 367

World taxed 107

Writers of the cure of mel. 393

Writers of imagination 96. de consolatione 306. of mel. 393. of love mel. 594 539. against idolatrie 668. against despaire 705

The Anatomy of Melancholy: W

p. 1091

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Walking, shooting, swimming and similar exercises as remedies for melancholy. 470

Lack of sleep as a symptom of love melancholy. 503

Wakefulness as a cause of melancholy, 88; a symptom, 179; its cure, 287.

Wanton behaviour and gestures as causes of love melancholy. 470

Water devils. 46

Foul water causes melancholy. 70

Waters evaluated; their effects. 71

Which waters are beneficial. 232

Waters in love. 457

Weariness of life as a symptom of melancholy. 516

What medicine is suitable for love melancholy. 539

Who is most prone to jealousy. 597

The characteristics and behaviour of whores. 465,557

Why good men are often rejected. 351

Why fools father wise children, and wise men fools. 62

The will defined and classified; its actions, and why it is overruled. 29,30

Wine as a cause of melancholy, 70,119,112; a good restorative against melancholy, 391; forbidden in love melancholy, 546.

Which medicines expel wind. 310

Winds in love. 457

Wives criticized, 573; commended, 588.

Ingenious devices against melancholy. 553 and 298

Intelligence demonstrated through love. 533

Resist the beginnings: a principal cure for love melancholy. 549

Witches’ power; how they cause melancholy, 54; how their transformations are caused, 55; they can cure melancholy, 220; procure love, 465; should not be sought for help, 221; nor should saints, 224.

Melancholy in widows. 203

How honeysuckle, ammi, rue and lettuce are beneficial in love melancholy. 546

How women cause melancholy, 120; their vanity in dress criticized, 473; how they deceive men, 474; by what arts, 475; their counterfeit tears, 497; their vices, 563. Tasks suitable for them against melancholy, 286; women commended, 588.

Wormwood as a remedy for melancholy. 367

The world criticized. 107

Writers on the cure of melancholy. 393

Writers on imagination, 96; on consolation, 306; on melancholy, 393; on love melancholy, 594,539; against idolatry, 668; against despair, 705.

13356.The Table prints 310 here, but its C entry Correctors to expel windiness gives 401. The inspected body subsection Correctors to expell winde begins on printed 401 (PDF 509; Block 106). Both the cross-entry and the body confirm the discrepancy. The printed 310 is preserved.

13357.The Table prints Amni and gives 546. The inspected body list on printed 547 (PDF 655; Block 134, passage 30) reads Woodbine, Ammi, Lettice, with Rue just before them. This supports modern ammi and the page discrepancy. Amni remains in the original column; 546 remains in both.

13358.The source places 594 and 539 together after of love mel.; both are retained in that order. De consolatione means on consolation. The titles and subjects here should not be treated as a modern bibliography without checking the cited discussions.

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.