The Anatomy of Melancholy

See also. Fascination; Glass.

Love

Source forms: sensible love; dilection

The word. Love is a broad category in Burton, extending across animal attraction, human affection and religious devotion. Sensible love means the love of sentient animals; dilection means affection. Heroical love and charity name more particular kinds within the larger discussion.

In Burton. The account of animals relates love to mating, offspring and likeness of kind. Charity gathers virtuous dispositions under Christian love, whereas heroic love is criticized as burning lust. The religious discussion directs love towards God as the supreme good and connects it with knowledge, faith, hope and obedience. These contexts prevent erotic desire from becoming the word’s universal meaning.

The places. Sensible love is defined through animal life. (p. 415; DJR-109-09.) Charity includes dilection and other virtuous dispositions. (p. 426; DJR-111-17.) Heroical love is contrasted with its honourable title. (p. 442; DJR-115-01.) Love is directed towards God as the supreme good. (p. 635; DJR-151-45.) Love of God is connected with commandments and other virtues. (p. 637; DJR-152-11.)

In this edition. “Sensible love” → “Sentient love” (DJR-109-09); “dilection” → “affection” (DJR-111-17); “Heroicall Love” → “heroic love” (DJR-115-01); “perfectly inamoured” → “perfectly in love” (DJR-151-45); “love presupposeth knowledge, faith, hope” → “love presupposes knowledge, faith and hope” (DJR-152-11). The retained word love gathers the discussion, while sentient and affection clarify less familiar terms. The modern text keeps the theological and erotic uses in their particular arguments.

See also. Heroical love; Jealousy; Charity; Self love; Pleasure.

Lucid intervals

Source forms: lucida intervalla

The word. Lucida intervalla means lucid intervals. Here it describes interruptions in symptoms and pain, which come in fits rather than continuing without relief.

In Burton. Burton presents these intervals as an advantage of windy or flatulent melancholy over other kinds. His immediate explanation names fear, sorrow and pain as less continuous; the phrase should therefore be read through that explanation rather than restricted to a claim about reasoning alone.

The places. Lucid intervals are explained by the intermittent course of symptoms. (p. 201; DJR-062-21.)

In this edition. “lucida intervalla” → “lucid intervals” (DJR-062-21). The familiar phrase remains, followed by Burton’s account of what varies. No additional modern diagnostic or legal meaning is supplied.

See also. Madness.

Lust and lusty

Source forms: lust; lusty; salacity

The word. Lust can mean appetite or desire broadly, as well as sexual desire. Lusty can mean vigorous or robust. Salacity has the more specifically sexual sense in the discussion of sparrows.

In Burton. The account of weariness with pleasure calls unsatisfied desires lust. The regimen uses lusty of bodily strength as a condition in a recommendation about sexual activity. The example of sparrows then joins sexual appetite with the supposed shortening of life through excess.

The places. Lust describes desires left unsatisfied by worldly pleasure. (p. 152; DJR-052-07.) Lusty describes bodily vigour. (p. 240; DJR-072-06.) Salacity names sexual appetite in the animal example. (p. 240; DJR-072-09.)

In this edition. “their lust could never be satisfied” → “their desires could never be satisfied” (DJR-052-07); “very lusty” → “very vigorous” (DJR-072-06); “their salacity, which is very frequent” → “their very frequent sexual activity” (DJR-072-09). Desires and vigorous preserve the wider senses. Sexual activity gives salacity its specific force in the claim about repeated expenditure.