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 MelancholySubsection 2 a Digression on the Nature of Spirits Evil Angels or Devils And…

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Subsection 2 a Digression on the Nature of Spirits Evil Angels or Devils And…

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1651 English

They could do no good on her by Physick, but left her to the Clergy. Marcellus Donatus lib. 2. c. 1. de med. mirab. hath such another story of a countrey fellow, that had four knives in his belly, Instar serræ dentatos, indented like a Saw, every one a span long, and a wreath of hair like a globe, with much baggage of like sort, wonderfull to behold: how it should come into his Guts, he concludes, Certè non alio quam dæmonis astutiâ & dolo.

Langius Epist. med. lib. 1. Epist. 38. hath many relations to this effect, and so hath Christophorus à Vega: Wierus, Skenkius, Scribonius, all agree that they are done by the subtilty and illusion of the Devill. If you shall ask a reason of this, tis to exercise our patience; for as Tertullian holds, Virtus non est virtus, nisi comparem habet aliquem, in quo superando vim suam ostendat,

tis to trie us and our faith, tis for our offences, and for the punishment of our sins, by Gods permission they do it, Carnifices vindictæ justæ Dei, as Tolosanus stiles them, Executioners of his will; or rather as David, Ps. 78. ver. 49. He cast upon them the fierceness of his anger, indignation, wrath, and vexation, by sending out of evill Angels:

So did he afflict Job, Saul, the Lunaticks and dæmoniacall persons whom Christ cured, Mat. 4. 8. Luk. 4. 11. Luk. 13. Mark 9. Tobit. 8. 3. &c. This, I say, happeneth for a punishment of sin, for their want of faith, incredulity, weakness, distrust, &c.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 2 a Digression on the Nature of Spirits Evil Angels or Devils And…

p. 196

They could do nothing for her with medicine and left her to the clergy. Marcellus Donatus, Medical Wonders, book 2, chapter 1, has a similar story of a countryman who had four knives in his belly, “toothed like a saw”—serrated like a saw—each a span long, and a coil of hair in the shape of a ball, with much similar rubbish, astonishing to see. As for how it entered his guts, he concludes: “Certainly by nothing other than a demon’s cunning and deceit.”

Lange, Medical Letters, book 1, letter 38, has many accounts of this kind, as does Cristóbal de Vega. Weyer, Schenck and Scribonius all agree that these things are done through the Devil’s cunning and illusion. If you ask why, it is to exercise our patience. For, as Tertullian maintains, “Virtue is not virtue unless it has an opponent to overcome and thereby display its strength.”

It is to test us and our faith, because of our offences and as punishment for our sins. They do it with God’s permission: “executioners of God’s just vengeance,” as Tolosanus calls them—executioners of his will. Or rather, as David says in Psalm 78, verse 49: “He unleashed upon them his fierce anger, indignation, wrath and distress, by sending out evil angels.”

So he afflicted Job, Saul, the lunatics and possessed people whom Christ cured: Matthew 4 and 8; Luke 4 and 11; Luke 13; Mark 9; Tobit 8:3; and so forth. This, I say, happens as punishment for sin, for their lack of faith, unbelief, weakness, distrust, and the like.

2167.A span is the distance across an outstretched hand from thumb to little finger. “Baggage” here means miscellaneous rubbish or material, not luggage. Burton’s source attributes the objects to demonic deception.

2169.The body names Tertullian; the margin cites the penultimate chapter of On the Workmanship of God, associated with Lactantius. Chapter 19 did not establish the quotation. Lactantius, Divine Institutes 3.29.16, offers a thematic parallel: virtue needs an adversary. Its wording differs, so it does not resolve Burton’s attribution or title.

2171.The compressed sequence “Mat. 4. 8. Luk. 4. 11.” is read as lists of chapters, not Matthew 4:8 or Luke 4:11. Tobit 8:3 concerns the binding of the demon Asmodeus. “Lunatics” is the historical designation used in the source; it is not adopted here as a present-day diagnosis.

2172.The explanation of illness as punishment or defective faith is Burton’s theological claim. His categories mix bodily illness, mental disturbance and alleged possession; they do not map directly onto modern diagnoses.

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.