The Anatomy of Melancholy

Name: The Anatomy of Melancholy
Author: Robert Burton

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

Explore the Lexicon

The Anatomy of MelancholyThe Author’s Summary of Melancholy, in Dialogue.

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

Facing Pages · Branch 17 of 1495

The Author’s Summary of Melancholy, in Dialogue.

Book Mode

1651 English

15–16

The Authors Abstract of Melancholy, Διαλογικῶς.

When I go musing all alone, Thinking of divers things fore-known, When I build Castles in the air, Void of sorrow and void of fear, Pleasing my self with phantasms sweet, Me thinks the time runs very fleet. All my joys to this are folly, Naught so sweet as melancholy.When I lie walking all alone, Recounting what I have ill done, My thoughts on me then tyrannise, Fear and sorrow me surprise, Whether I tarry still or go, Me thinks the time moves very slow. All my griefs to this are jolly, Naught so sad as melancholy.When to my self I act and smile, With pleasing thoughts the time beguile, By a brook side or wood so green, Unheard, unsought for, or unseen, A thousand pleasures do me bless, And crown my soul with happiness. All my joys besides are folly, None so sweet as melancholy.When I lie, sit, or walk alone, I sigh, I grieve, making great mone, In a dark grove, or irksome den, With discontents and Furies then, A thousand miseries at once, Mine heavy heart and soul ensconce, All my griefs to this are jolly, None so sour as melancholy.Me thinks I hear, me thinks I see, Sweet musick, wondrous melodie, Towns, places and Cities fine; Here now, then there; the world is mine; Rare beauties, gallant Ladies shine, What e’re is lovely or divine. All other joys to this are folly, None so sweet as melancholy.Me thinks I hear, me thinks I see Ghosts, goblins, fiends; my phantasie Presents a thousand ugly shapes, Headless bears, black men, and apes, Dolefull outcries, and fearfull sights, My sad and dismall soul affrights. All my griefs to this are jolly, None so damn’d as Melancholy.Me thinks I court, me thinks I kiss, Me thinks I now embrace my mistriss. O blessed days, O sweet content, In Paradise my time is spent. Such thoughts may still my fancy move, So may I ever be in love. All my joys to this are folly, Naught so sweet as Melancholy.When I recount loves many frights, My sighs and tears, my waking nights, My jealous fits; O mine hard fate I now repent, but ’tis too late. No torment is so bad as love, So bitter to my soul can prove. All my griefs to this are jolly, Naught so harsh as Melancholy.Friends and Companions get you gone, ’Tis my desire to be alone; Ne’re well but when my thoughts and I Do domineer in privacie. No Gemm, no treasure like to this, ’Tis my delight, my Crown, my bliss. All my joys to this are folly, Naught so sweet as Melancholy.’Tis my sole plague to be alone, I am a beast, a monster grown, I will no light nor company, I finde it now my misery. The scean is turn’d, my joys are gone; Fear, discontent, and sorrows come. All my griefs to this are jolly, Naught so fierce as Melancholy.I’le not change life with any King, I ravisht am: can the world bring More joy, then still to laugh and smile, In pleasant toys time to beguile? Do not, O do not trouble me, So sweet content I feel and see. All my joyes to this are folly, None so divine as Melancholy.I’le change my state with any wretch, Thou canst from gaole or dunghill fetch: My pain, past cure, another Hell, I may not in this torment dwell, Now desperate I hate my life, Lend me a halter or a knife. All my griefs to this are jolly, Naught so damn’d as Melancholy.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: The Author’s Summary of Melancholy, in Dialogue.

p. 17

The Author’s Summary of Melancholy, in Dialogue.

When I go musing all alone, Thinking of things I knew before, When I build castles in the air, Free from sorrow and free from fear, Pleasing myself with sweet imaginings, It seems to me that time flies by. All my other joys are foolishness beside this; Nothing is as sweet as melancholy.

When I lie awake all alone, Recalling what I have done wrong, My thoughts become my tyrants; Fear and sorrow seize me. Whether I stay still or move, It seems to me that time moves very slowly. All my other griefs are cheerful beside this; Nothing is as sad as melancholy.

When I act things out and smile to myself, Passing the time with pleasant thoughts, Beside a brook or a green wood, Unheard, unsought or unseen, A thousand pleasures bless me And crown my soul with happiness. All my other joys are foolishness; None is as sweet as melancholy.

When I lie, sit or walk alone, I sigh and grieve, bitterly lamenting, In a dark grove or a dreary den, With discontent and Furies there, A thousand miseries at once Entrench themselves in my heavy heart and soul. All my other griefs are cheerful beside this; None is as bitter as melancholy.

I seem to hear, I seem to see, Sweet music, wonderful melody, Towns, places and splendid cities; Now here, then there: the world is mine. Rare beauties, splendid ladies shine, Whatever is lovely or divine. All other joys are foolishness beside this; None is as sweet as melancholy.

I seem to hear, I seem to see Ghosts, goblins, fiends; my imagination Presents a thousand hideous shapes: Headless bears, black men and apes. Mournful cries and terrifying sights Frighten my sad and gloomy soul. All my other griefs are cheerful beside this; None is as accursed as melancholy.

I imagine courting, I imagine kissing, I imagine embracing my beloved now. O blessed days, O sweet contentment, My time is spent in paradise. May such thoughts always stir my imagination; May I always be in love like this. All my other joys are foolishness beside this; Nothing is as sweet as melancholy.

When I recall love’s many terrors, My sighs and tears, my sleepless nights, My fits of jealousy—O my cruel fate!— I now regret it, but too late. No torment is as bad as love, Or can prove so bitter to my soul. All my other griefs are cheerful beside this; Nothing is as harsh as melancholy.

Friends and companions, go away; I want to be alone. I am never well except when my thoughts and I Reign freely in private. No jewel, no treasure can equal this: It is my delight, my crown, my bliss. All my other joys are foolishness beside this; Nothing is as sweet as melancholy.

Being alone is my one great torment; I have become a beast, a monster. I want neither light nor company; I now find solitude my misery. The scene has changed, my joys are gone; Fear, discontent and sorrows come. All my other griefs are cheerful beside this; Nothing is as fierce as melancholy.

I would not exchange lives with any king; I am transported: can the world bring More joy than always laughing and smiling, Passing the time in pleasant fancies? Do not, O do not disturb me; Such sweet contentment I feel and see. All my other joys are foolishness beside this; None is as divine as melancholy.

I would exchange my condition with any wretch You could fetch from a jail or dunghill. My incurable pain is another hell; I cannot remain in this torment. Now, in despair, I hate my life; Lend me a noose or a knife. All my other griefs are cheerful beside this; Nothing is as accursed as melancholy.

59.The Greek Διαλογικῶς means in the manner of a dialogue. Twelve eight-line stanzas alternate between delight and misery. No speakers are explicitly named. The source’s repeated refrains and their variations are retained.

60.The 1651 source prints lie walking; the inspected 1638 Abstract reads lie waking. This earlier reading supports lie awake in the modern version. Walking is retained in the original column, and a printing error remains the likely explanation. Surprise here means seize or overtake, rather than astonish.

61.Ensconce evokes occupation of a fortified position: the miseries establish themselves within the heart and soul. Furies can evoke the classical powers of torment as well as raging thoughts.

62.The source reads places; it has not been silently changed to palaces. The paired acts of hearing and seeing range across the following images rather than assigning every object to both senses.

63.Both inspected editions, 1638 and 1651, include black men among the shapes presented by the speaker’s imagination. This confirms the wording, but does not settle whether dark figures, demons or people imagined in racial terms are meant. The phrase is retained without a narrower identification.

64.Will is a verb of desire: I will no light means I want no light. The changed scene makes explicit the reversal that structures the alternating stanzas.

65.Halter here means a noose. The poem ends with its darker voice rather than resolving the opposition between the two states. The next source leaf begins Gentle Reader, the opening of Democritus Junior to the Reader.

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.