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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 MelancholySource Record

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English Introduction · Branch 1204 of 1495

Source Record

Book Mode

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Source Record

p. 1204

Opening words: Yet oftentimes I may not deny it the main fault is in our selves.

Closing words: and daily converse with a company of Idiots and Clownes.

Passages DJR-050-01 to DJR-050-55

Source page labels: 143–149 (sequence; last five printed141–145). Scan pages: 243, 244, 245, 246, 247, 248, 249.

Scan 243; printed no visible numeral; sequence 143; image block49-source-243.png.

Scan 244; printed no visible numeral; sequence 144; image block49-source-244.png.

Scan 245; printed 141; sequence 145; image block50-source-245.png.

Scan 246; printed 142; sequence 146; image block50-source-246.png.

Scan 247; printed 143; sequence 147; image block50-source-247.png.

Scan 248; printed 144; sequence 148; image block50-source-248.png.

Scan 249; printed 145; sequence 149; image block50-source-249.png.

Opening words: Nos interim quod attinet (nec enim immunes ab hac noxâ sumus) idem reatus manet

Closing words: doth no other, then that he be a learned fool, or a sickly wise man.

Passages DJR-051-01 to DJR-051-54

Source page labels: 146–151 (sequence150–155). Scan pages: 250, 251, 252, 253, 254, 255.

Scan 250; printed 146; sequence 150; image block50-source-250.png.

Scan 251; printed 147; sequence 151; image block51-source-251.png.

Scan 252; printed 148; sequence 152; image block51-source-252.png.

Scan 253; printed 149; sequence 153; image block51-source-253.png.

Scan 254; printed 150; sequence 154; image block51-source-254.png.

Scan 255; printed 151; sequence 155; image block51-source-255.png.

Opening words: SUBSECT. 3. Terrors and Affrights, Causes of Melancholy.

Closing words: little content and charity, much virulency, hatred, malice, and disquietnesse among us.

Passages DJR-052-01 to DJR-052-42

Source page labels: 152–156 (sequence156–160). Scan pages: 256, 257, 258, 259, 260.

Scan 256; printed 152; sequence 156; image block51-source-256.png.

Scan 257; printed 153; sequence 157; image block52-source-257.png.

Scan 258; printed 154; sequence 158; image block52-source-258.png.

Scan 259; printed 155; sequence 159; image block52-source-259.png.

Scan 260; printed 156; sequence 160; image block52-source-260.png.

Opening words: SUBSECT. 5. Loss of liberty, servitude, imprisonment, how they cause Melancholy.

Closing words: and take place by reason of his outward habit.

Passages DJR-053-01 to DJR-053-51

Source page labels: 156–161 (sequence160–165). Scan pages: 260, 261, 262, 263, 264, 265.

Scan 260; printed 156; sequence 160; image block52-source-260.png.

Scan 261; printed 157; sequence 161; image block52-source-261.png.

Scan 262; printed 158; sequence 162; image block52-source-262.png.

Scan 263; printed 159; sequence 163; image block53-source-263.png.

Scan 264; printed 160; sequence 164; image block53-source-264.png.

Scan 265; printed 161; sequence 165; image block53-source-265.png.

Opening words: But on the contrary, if he be poor, Prov. 15.15. all his days are miserable

Closing words: feed me with food convenient for me.

Passages DJR-054-01 to DJR-054-51

Source page labels: 161–165 (sequence165–169). Scan pages: 265, 266, 267, 268, 269.

Scan 265; printed 161; sequence 165; image block53-source-265.png.

Scan 266; printed 162; sequence 166; image block53-source-266.png.

Scan 267; printed 163; sequence 167; image block54-source-267.png.

Scan 268; printed 164; sequence 168; image block54-source-268.png.

Scan 269; printed 165; sequence 169; image block54-source-269.png.

Opening words: SUBSECT. 7. An heap of other Accidents causing Melancholy, Death of Friends, losses, &c.

Closing words: riches do not so much exhilarate us with their possession, as they torment us with their loss.

Passages DJR-055-01 to DJR-055-45

Source page labels: 165–169 (sequence169–173). Scan pages: 269, 270, 271, 272, 273.

Scan 269; printed 165; sequence 169; image block54-source-269.png.

Scan 270; printed 166; sequence 170; image block54-source-270.png.

Scan 271; printed 167; sequence 171; image block54-source-271.png.

Scan 272; printed 168; sequence 172; image block55-source-272.png.

Scan 273; printed 169; sequence 173; image block55-source-273.png.

Opening words: Next to Sorrow still I may annex such accidents as procure Fear;

Closing words: what offence had he done, that he should marry again?

Passages DJR-056-01 to DJR-056-59

Source page labels: 169–174 (sequence173–178). Scan pages: 273, 274, 275, 276, 277, 278.

Scan 273; printed 169; sequence 173; image block55-source-273.png.

1204

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.