The Anatomy of Melancholy

Name: The Anatomy of Melancholy
Author: Robert Burton

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

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The Anatomy of MelancholyNecessary Causes: The Six Non-Natural Things. Section 2, Member 2.

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Necessary Causes: The Six Non-Natural Things. Section 2, Member 2.

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1651 English

Their severall customs, conditions, inclinations, discipline, &c. Ambitious thinks himself a King, a Lord; covetous runs on his money, lascivious on his mistris; religious, hath revelations, visions, is a Prophet, or troubled in minde, a scholar on his book, &c.

Continuance of time, as the humor is intended or remitted, &c. Pleasant at first, hardly discerned, afterwards harsh and intolerable, if inveterate. Hence some make three degrees, 1. Falsa cogitatio. 2. Cogitata loqui. 3. Exequi loquutum. By fits, or continuate, as the object varies, pleasing or displeasing.

Simple, or as it is mixt with other diseases, Apoplexies, Gout, Caninus appetitus, &c. so the symptomes are various.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Necessary Causes: The Six Non-Natural Things. Section 2, Member 2.

p. 123

Their various habits, circumstances, inclinations, training, etc. The ambitious man thinks himself a king or a lord; the covetous man dwells on his money, the lustful man on his mistress. The religious man has revelations and visions, is a prophet, or is troubled in mind; the scholar dwells on his book, etc.

The passage of time, as the humour grows stronger or weaker, etc. Pleasant at first and scarcely noticed; later harsh and unbearable if deeply established. Hence some distinguish three degrees: 1. False thinking. 2. Saying what one thinks. 3. Carrying out what one has said. In fits or continuously, as the object changes and gives pleasure or displeasure.

Or uncomplicated, or mixed with other diseases—apoplexies, gout, ravenous appetite, etc.—with symptoms varying accordingly.

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.