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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 MelancholyContextual Lexicon

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English Introduction · Branch 1192 of 1495

Contextual Lexicon

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Contextual Lexicon

p. 1192

quartane — Calenture and ague.

quean — Quean and slut.

queans — Quean and slut.

quiddities — Quiddity and quodlibet.

quinta essentia — Essence and quintessence.

quintessence — Essence and quintessence.

quodlibetaries — Quiddity and quodlibet.

radicall moisture — Radical moisture.

reason — Reason.

receipts — Receipt.

recollect — Memory and recollection.

recreate — Recreate.

rectification — Rectification.

rectification of aire — Air.

rectified — Rectification.

regiment — Diet and regimen.

religion — Religion and superstition.

religious melancholy — Religious melancholy.

reminiscentia — Memory and recollection.

remiss — Intention and remission.

remitted — Intention and remission.

repletion — Plethora and repletion.

reprobate — Election and reprobation.

reprobates — Election and reprobation.

rheume — Distillation and rheum.

rim — Anatomical membranes.

riot — Luxurious and riot.

ros — Radical moisture.

rusticus pudor — Shame.

safety — Salvation.

salacity — Lust and lusty.

salvation — Salvation.

sanguification — Concoction.

sanguine — Blood and sanguine.

satisfaction — Satisfaction.

satisfactory — Satisfaction.

satyriasis — Satyriasis and priapism.

scarification — Chirurgery.

school divinity — Schoolmen.

schoolmen — Schoolmen.

science — Science.

sciences — Science.

scrupulous — Scruple.

scrupulous conscience — Scruple.

seared — Cautery.

secure — Secure.

securely — Secure.

security — Faith and assurance; Secure.

seed — Seed.

seed-veins — Seed.

semiustulation — Concoction.

sensible — Sensible.

sensible love — Love.

sensible soul — Sensible.

sensibles — Sensible.

sensitive — Sensible.

sentence — Judgment.

shamefac’d — Shame.

significators — Astrological significators.

silly — Silly.

similar part — Organical parts.

similar parts — Organical parts.

simony — Church patronage.

simple — Humour; Simple.

simples — Simples.

simulachra — Simulacra.

slut — Quean and slut.

sodomites — Sodomy.

sodomy — Sodomy.

solitariness — Solitude.

solitudo — Solitude.

sorrow — Sorrow.

soul — Soul.

spagirically — Paracelsian.

species — Genus and species; Species in perception.

species of objects — Species in perception.

specifical difference — Genus and species.

spectrum — Demonic apparitions.

spectrums — Demonic apparitions.

spermatical — Seed.

spirits — Spirits.

spittle — Hospital.

splenatick — Spleen.

splenitick — Spleen.

starve his genius — Daemon and genius.

starve their genius — Daemon and genius.

stibium — Stibium.

still — Still.

still dotage — Dotage.

still running — Still.

stock — Estate.

strange imagination — Maternal impressions.

strangury — Strangury.

strong apprehension — Apprehension.

strong waters — Aqua vitae.

stupid — Stupid.

stupidity — Stupid.

stupified — Stupid.

subrusticus pudor — Shame.

substance — Estate.

substantiæ separatæ — Daemon and genius.

suiters — Suit.

summum bonum — Pleasure.

summum genus — Genus and species.

supererogate — Supererogation.

superstition — Religion and superstition.

sute — Suit.

sybaritical — Luxurious and riot.

synteresis — Synderesis.

tables — Tables.

tax — Tax.

taxe — Tax.

taxeth — Tax.

temper — Complexion and temperament.

temperament — Complexion and temperament.

temperature — Complexion and temperament; Humoral qualities.

temperatures — Complexion and temperament.

temporising — Temporize.

temporize — Temporize.

temptation — Temptation.

temptations — Temptation.

tentation — Temptation.

the mother — Matrix and mother.

theorick — Science.

tires — Tires and weeds.

try conclusions — Experimental.

tuition — Custom and education.

tunicles — Anatomical membranes.

tyres — Tires and weeds.

tædium vitæ — Tædium vitae.

usury — Usury.

uteri labiorum — Matrix and mother.

vapours — Vapours.

vegetal — Animal and vegetal.

vegetals — Animal and vegetal.

velle — Will and nill.

venery — Venery.

venialiter — Venial sin.

venially — Venial sin.

venosal artery — Anatomical arteries.

ventricle — Ventricle.

venus — Venery.

vertues — Virtue.

vocall artery — Anatomical arteries.

voluntary — Voluntary.

voluptas — Pleasure.

vomit — Purging.

vomits — Purging.

vulgar complement — Complement.

waking — Waking.

watchfull — Waking.

watchings — Waking.

water of life — Aqua vitae.

weeds — Tires and weeds.

well manured — Manure.

wilfull — Voluntary.

wit — Wit.

witch-ridden — Incubus.

wittal — Wittal and cuckold.

wittall — Wittal and cuckold.

witty — Wit.

zealous — Zeal.

1192

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.