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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 MelancholyBibliography and Comparison Resources

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English Introduction · Branch 1260 of 1495

Bibliography and Comparison Resources

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Bibliography and Comparison Resources

p. 1260

McGill Library scan of Burton’s 1651 sixth edition; printed 165–169, PDF 269–273, all body and margins in scope visually read. Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, sixth edition (1651), McGill copy. Base text: printed pages 169–174, PDF pages 273–278. Body and marginalia visually transcribed. Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, sixth edition (1651), McGill copy, printed pages 174–178, PDF pages 278–282. Governing source for body text and all marginalia within the block. Base text: Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, sixth edition (1651), McGill scan, printed 178–183 / PDF 282–287. All body and marginalia in scope visually read. Base text: McGill copy, 1651 sixth edition, printed 183–188 and 190, PDF 287–293. All body and marginalia in scope transcribed from the images. Base text: McGill copy of the 1651 sixth edition, printed 190 twice, then 191–194; PDF pages 293–298. Six images and all relevant marginalia read visually. Base text: McGill copy of the 1651 sixth edition, printed pages 194–198, PDF 298–302. All body and marginalia within Subsection 4 read visually. Base text: McGill copy of the 1651 sixth edition, printed pages 198–202, PDF pages 302–306. All body and marginalia within this block read visually. Base text: McGill copy of the 1651 sixth edition, printed pages 202–206, PDF pages 306–310. Body and all marginalia in scope read visually. Base text: McGill copy of the 1651 sixth edition, printed pages 206–211, PDF pages 310–315; body and all marginalia in scope read visually. McGill copy of the 1651 sixth edition, PDF pages 315–319, printed pages 211–215. Source body and marginalia visually read. McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF 319–322: printed 215–217 and 454 (sequence 219–222). Body and marginalia read visually. McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF323–329: four unnumbered synopsis leaves, then printed216,220,221. Body, diagram and marginalia read visually. Controlling source: McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF 330–334, printed 222–226. McGill Library, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, sixth edition (1651), PDF 334–338, printed 226–230. Controlling transcription images. McGill 1651 sixth-edition scan, PDF 338–342; printed 230–234. Controlling text and marginalia. McGill 1651 sixth-edition scan, PDF 342–347, printed 234–239. Controlling body and marginal text. Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, sixth edition, 1651. McGill copy, PDF 347–351, printed 239–243; controlling images. Controlling text: Burton, sixth edition (1651), McGill scan, PDF 351–356, printed 243–248. Robert Burton, sixth edition (1651), McGill scan: PDF 356–360, printed 248–252. Robert Burton, sixth edition (1651), McGill scan: PDF 360–364, printed 252–256. McGill Library: 1651 sixth edition, printed 256–261 (261 supplied), PDF 364–369. McGill Library: 1651 sixth edition, printed [261]–265, PDF 369–373. McGill Library 1651 sixth edition, PDF373–378, printed265–270; body and marginalia transcribed directly from the scan. McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF 378–382, printed 270–274; direct scan transcription. McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF 382–387, printed 274–279; direct scan transcription. McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF 387–392, printed 279–284; direct scan transcription. McGill 1651 sixth edition, PDF 392–397, printed 284–289; direct scan transcription. Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, sixth edition, 1651; McGill copy, PDF 397–402, printed 289–294.

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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.