The Anatomy of Melancholy

The word. Clown can mean a country labourer. In the selected passage the word identifies a person accustomed to hard bodily work.

In Burton. The description of Cape Verde claims that heat defeats even the hardiest men and stiffest clowns. The comparison depends on the labourer’s presumed toughness. Reading clowns as comic performers would remove the point of the example.

The places. Extreme heat is said to overcome even hardy labourers. (p. 82; DJR-036-36.)

In this edition. “stiffest clowns” → “toughest labourers” (DJR-036-36). Labourers supplies the occupational sense, while toughest preserves the force of stiffest.

See also. Parasite; Silly.

Collogue

Source forms: collogue; colloguing; cogging; collogueing; colloging

The word. To collogue is to flatter, coax or ingratiate oneself through speech. Burton’s forms colloguing, collogueing and colloging belong to the same family; cogging in the paired phrase means lying or cheating.

In Burton. Writers collogue with powerful men to gain favour. The larger catalogue of folly joins colloguing to parasitical fawning, while the portrait of ambition gives it a place among bows, visits and other attempts to obtain office. The warning to scholars then rejects extravagant praise as a shameful means of approaching patrons. The repeated word exposes speech used for advantage.

The places. Scribblers flatter powerful patrons. (p. 7; DJR-004-08.) Wheedling forms part of the catalogue of folly. (p. 74; DJR-018-35.) Ambition employs lying and coaxing. (p. 112 [122]–113; DJR-043-22.) Scholars are warned against parasitical praise. (p. 140; DJR-049-04.)

In this edition. “collogue” → “ingratiate themselves” (DJR-004-08); “colloguing” → “wheedling” (DJR-018-35); “cogging and collogueing” → “lying and wheedling” (DJR-043-22); “colloging” → “coaxing” (DJR-049-04). The varying equivalents retain the shared element of interested flattery and distinguish the lying named by cogging.

See also. Parasite.

Comfortable

Source forms: comfortable speeches

The word. Comfortable can mean giving comfort or consolation. Comfortable speeches are words intended to relieve mental distress.

In Burton. Introducing the consolatory section, Burton links these speeches with good counsel and persuasion. He proposes to gather examples from orators, philosophers, theologians and church fathers. The adjective describes what the words do for a troubled hearer, not how physically pleasant they are.

The places. Consoling words introduce the collection of remedies for discontent. (p. 307; DJR-086-38.)

In this edition. “comfortable speeches” → “consoling words” (DJR-086-38). Consoling makes the active sense explicit and fits the passage’s emphasis on advice and persuasion.

See also. Cordial; Despair.

Commodity

Source forms: commodity; commodious; commoditie

The word. Commodity can mean benefit or advantage. Commodious can describe something materially advantageous or profitable.

In Burton. In justifying his subject, Burton pairs commodity with common good: knowledge of melancholy is meant to benefit everyone. In the satire on learning, commodious professions attract students because they offer financial rewards. In the description of a form of melancholy, commoditie names the relative advantage of intermittent rather than continuous symptoms. The beneficiaries and kinds of benefit differ.

The places. Knowledge of the disease promises a common benefit. (p. 16–17; DJR-006-24.) Students choose profitable professions. (p. 133–134; DJR-047-33.) Intervals between symptoms count as a relative advantage. (p. 201; DJR-062-21.)

In this edition. “commodity” → “benefit” (DJR-006-24); “commodious” → “lucrative” (DJR-047-33); “commoditie” → “advantage” (DJR-062-21). Benefit, lucrative and advantage specify the local sense. None requires the modern meaning of an article of commerce.

See also. Usury; Estate.

Common sense

Source forms: common sense