The Anatomy of Melancholy

In Burton. The distinction between disposition and habit helps Burton move from general folly to melancholy as an illness. Repeated disturbances can become settled, and an established illness can be difficult to cure. Yet the same noun also names the guise of someone hiding himself, a dead wife’s supposed appearance and a lover’s clothing. Intellectual habits belong to the philosophical account of capacities; the monk’s habit may include both clothing and manner of life.

The places. Passing disposition and settled habit are followed by habit as a disguise. (p. 39; DJR-011-19.) The argument turns away from merely being disposed to melancholy. (p. 76; DJR-019-15.) The disease classification distinguishes habit from disposition. (p. 7; DJR-022-10.) Excessive purging produces a bad bodily condition. (p. 81; DJR-036-26.) Repeated disturbances become an established disposition. (p. 92; DJR-038-41.) A disposition advances to a settled condition. (p. 104; DJR-041-30.) Loss is said to cause lasting melancholy. (p. 164; DJR-054-37.) Established illness is discussed in the prognosis. (p. 213; DJR-065-09.) Habit names the body’s condition in a definition of disease. (p. 6; DJR-022-02.) Habit is the dead wife’s apparent form. (p. 438; DJR-114-01.) Habit belongs to the catalogue of a lover’s appearance. (p. 522–523; DJR-129-82.) A monk’s habit and way of life are changed. (p. 705; DJR-166-11.) Intellectual habits occur in the account of understanding. (p. 28–29; DJR-026-31.)

In this edition. “one in disposition, another in habit” → “a passing disposition, in another an established condition” (DJR-011-19); “an unknown habit” → “an unfamiliar guise” (DJR-011-19); “in disposition” → “merely disposed that way” (DJR-019-15); “in Habit or in Disposition” → “established as a habit or present as a disposition” (DJR-022-10); “an ill habit” → “a bad bodily condition” (DJR-036-26); “an habit of Melancholy” → “an established disposition to melancholy” (DJR-038-41); “an habit” → “a settled condition” (DJR-041-30); “habitual melancholy” → “settled melancholy” (DJR-054-37); “if once it be habituated” → “once it has become established” (DJR-065-09); “an ill habit of the body” → “an unhealthy condition of the body” (DJR-022-02); “in her habit” → “in her form” (DJR-114-01); “habit, gesture” → “dress and gesture” (DJR-129-82); “altering his habit” → “changing his habit” (DJR-166-11); “intellectual habits” → “intellectual habits” (DJR-026-31). Context determines whether the modern text uses condition, disposition, guise, form or dress, or retains habit with explanation. Established disposition in the repeated-disturbance passage has the force of a settled state; disposition alone does not carry one fixed meaning throughout the edition.

See also. Melancholy; Counterfeit; Tires and weeds.

Happily

Source forms: happily

The word. Happily can mean perhaps or by good fortune. Here it introduces a possible explanation of relief, rather than describing a cheerful manner of giving advice.

In Burton. Burton describes distress relieved by telling a trusted friend. The friend’s counsel, wisdom or helpful intervention may accomplish what the sufferer cannot do alone. Happily qualifies the means of relief in this account.

The places. A friend’s counsel is proposed as the means of relief. (p. 293; DJR-083-33.)

In this edition. “by his counsel happily” → “perhaps through his counsel” (DJR-083-33). Perhaps makes the qualifying force explicit and avoids suggesting that the friend is merely speaking cheerfully.

See also. Still.

Happiness and fortune

Source forms: happinesse; halcyonian times

The word. Happiness may include good fortune or favourable circumstances as well as contentment. Halcyonian times are calm, secure times: an image of conditions in which a person might feel safe and satisfied.

In Burton. Hippocrates admires the freedom that allows Democritus to pursue his inquiry, contrasting it with his own household obligations. In the later account of discontent, Burton denies that any settled period of security satisfies us: what we eagerly seek may weary us once obtained.