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 4. the Stars as a Cause. Signs From Physiognomy, Metoposcopy And…

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Subsection 4. the Stars as a Cause. Signs From Physiognomy, Metoposcopy And…

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1651 English

and in another place, referres all to the Ascendent, and will have the true and chief cause of it to be sought from the Stars. Neither is it his opinion only, but of many Galenists and Philosophers, though they not so stifly and peremptorily maintain as much. This variety of Melancholy symptomes, proceeds from the Stars, saith Melancthon: The most generous melancholy, as that of Augustus, comes from the conjunction of Saturne & Jupiter in Libra: the bad, as that of Catilines, from the meeting of Saturne and the Moon in Scorpio.

Jovianus Pontanus in his 10. book, and 13. Chap. de rebus cœlestibus, discourseth to this purpose at large. Ex atra bile varii generantur morbi, &c. many diseases proceed from black choler, as it shall be hot or cold; and though it be cold in its own nature, yet it is apt to be heated, as water may be made to boyle, and burn as bad as fire; or made cold as Ice: and thence proceed such variety of symptomes, some mad, some solitary, some laugh, some rage, &c.

The cause of all which intemperance, he wil have chiefly & primarily proceed from the Heavens: from the position of Mars, Saturne, and Mercury. His Aphorismes be these, Mercury in any geniture, if he shall be found in Virgo, or Pisces his opposite signe, and that in the Horoscope, irradiated by those quartile aspects of Saturne or Mars, the childe shall be mad or melancholy.

Again, He that shall have Saturne or Mars, the one culminating, the other in the 4. house, when he shall be borne, shall be melancholy, of which he shall be cured in time, if Mercury behold them. If the Moon be in conjunction or opposition at the birth time with the Sun, Saturne or Mars, or in a quartile aspect with them, (è malo cœli loco, Leovitius adds) many diseases are signified, especially the Head and Brain is like to be mis-affected with pernicious humors, to be melancholy, lunatick, or mad,

Cardan adds, quartâ lunâ natos Eclipses, Earth-quakes. Garcæus and Leovitius will have the chief Judgment to be taken from the Lord of the geniture, or when there is an aspect betwixt the Moon and Mercury, and neither behold the Horoscope, or Saturne and Mars shall be Lord of the present conjunction or opposition in Sagittary or Pisces, of the Sun or Moon, such persons are commonly Epileptick, dote, Dæmoniacal, Melancholy:

but see more of these Aphorismes in the above-named Pontanus. Garcæus cap. 23. de Jud. genitur. Schoner. lib. 1. cap. 8. which he hath gathered out of Ptolomy, Albubater, and some other Arabians, Junctine, Ranzovius, Lindhout, Origan, &c. but these men you will reject peradventure, as Astrologers, and therefore partial Judges; then hear the testimony of Physitians, Galenists themselves,

2225.BurtonMargin s: “Lib. de anima cap. de humorib. Ea varietas in Melancholia, habet cœlestes causas ☌ ♄ et ♃ in □ ☌ ♂ et ☾ in ♏.” On the Soul, chapter on humours. This variety in melancholy has heavenly causes. The printed symbols indicate conjunction, Saturn and Jupiter, then a square, conjunction, Mars and the moon in Scorpio. This compressed formula differs from the body’s Saturn–Jupiter in Libra and Saturn–moon in Scorpio; it is not silently reconciled.

2227.BurtonMargin t: “Ex atra bile varii generantur morbi perinde ut ipsa multum calidi aut frigidi in se habuerit, quum utrique suscipiendo quam aptissima sit, tam etsi suapte natura frigida sit. Annon aqua sic afficitur a calore ut ardeat; et a frigore, ut in glaciem concrescat? et hæc varietas distinctionum, alii flent, rident, &c.” Various diseases arise from black bile according as it contains much heat or cold, since it readily receives either, although naturally cold. Is not water so affected by heat that it burns, and by cold that it freezes into ice? Hence these different states: some weep, some laugh, and so on.

2228.BurtonMargin u: “Hanc ad intemperantiam gignendam plurimum confert ♂ et ♄ positus, &c.” The position of Mars and Saturn contributes greatly to producing this imbalance, and so forth.

2229.BurtonMargin x: “☿ Quoties alicujus genitura in ♍ et ♓ adverso signo positus, horoscopum partiliter tenuerit, atque etiam a ♂ vel ♄ □ radio percussus fuerit, natus ab insania vexabitur.” Whenever Mercury in a nativity, placed in Virgo and its opposite sign Pisces, occupies the ascendant by exact degree and is struck by a square ray from Mars or Saturn, the native will be afflicted by madness. The compressed Latin uses et, and, where the English body gives the alternative Virgo or Pisces.

2231.BurtonMargin y: “Qui ♄ et ♂ habet, alterum in culmine, alterum imo cœlo, cum in lucem venerit, melancholicus erit, à qua sanabitur, si ☿ illos irradiavit.” Whoever at birth has Saturn and Mars, one at the midheaven and the other at the bottom of the heavens, will be melancholy, from which he will recover if Mercury has cast its rays upon them.

2232.BurtonMargin z, continuing at the foot of page 58: “Hac configuratione natus, Aut Lunaticus, aut mente captus.” One born under this configuration will be either lunatic or deprived of reason.

2236.BurtonMargin a: “Ptolomæus centiloquio, & quadripartito tribuit omnium melancholicorum symptomata syderum influentiis.” Ptolemy, in the Centiloquium and Quadripartitum, attributes all melancholic symptoms to stellar influences.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 4. the Stars as a Cause. Signs From Physiognomy, Metoposcopy And…

p. 201

and elsewhere he attributes everything to the ascendant and insists that its true and chief cause must be sought in the stars. Nor is this his opinion alone: many Galenists and philosophers share it, though they maintain it less rigidly and dogmatically. This variety of melancholic symptoms comes from the stars, says Melanchthon. The noblest melancholy, such as Augustus’s, comes from the conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter in Libra; the bad kind, such as Catiline’s, from Saturn meeting the moon in Scorpio.

Giovanni Pontano discusses this at length in On Heavenly Things, book 10, chapter 13. “Various diseases arise from black bile,” and so forth: many diseases come from black bile according to whether it is hot or cold. Although naturally cold, it can readily be heated, just as water can be made to boil and burn as fiercely as fire, or be made as cold as ice. Hence the variety of symptoms: some people go mad, some seek solitude, some laugh, some rage, and so on.

He maintains that the cause of all this imbalance comes chiefly and primarily from the heavens: from the positions of Mars, Saturn and Mercury. His rules are these: if, in any birth chart, Mercury is found in Virgo or its opposite sign, Pisces, and at the ascendant, receiving the rays of Saturn or Mars in a square aspect, the child will be mad or melancholy.

Again: anyone born with Saturn and Mars, one at the midheaven and the other in the fourth house, will be melancholy, but will in time recover if Mercury is in aspect with them. If at birth the moon is in conjunction or opposition with the sun, Saturn or Mars, or in a square aspect with them—“from an unfavourable place in the heavens,” Leovitius adds—many diseases are indicated, especially harmful humours affecting the head and brain, producing melancholy, lunacy or madness.

Cardan adds those born on the fourth day of the moon, eclipses and earthquakes. Garcaeus and Leovitius hold that the chief judgement must be drawn from the ruler of the birth chart. Or, when the moon and Mercury are in aspect and neither is in aspect with the ascendant, or Saturn and Mars govern the current conjunction or opposition of the sun or moon in Sagittarius or Pisces, such people are commonly epileptic, deranged, demon-possessed or melancholy.

But see more of these rules in the Pontano already mentioned; Garcaeus, On Judging Nativities, chapter 23; Schöner, book 1, chapter 8, which he compiled from Ptolemy, Albubater and other Arab writers; Junctinus, Rantzau, Lindhout, Origanus, and so forth. Perhaps you will reject these men as astrologers and therefore biased judges. Then listen to the testimony of physicians, Galenists themselves.

2226.The ascendant is the zodiacal degree rising at the eastern horizon. Augustus supplies an example of noble melancholy, Catiline of its destructive kind. The marginal symbol sequence is inconsistent with the English account; see Burton’s note. The body’s readings are retained.

2230.Here Horoscope means the ascendant, rather than the whole chart. Quartile is a square aspect, an angular separation of 90 degrees; a conjunction is a meeting in zodiacal longitude, an opposition a separation of 180 degrees. Intemperance here means imbalance in qualities, not excessive drinking.

2233.Culminating means at the upper meridian or midheaven; the fourth house corresponds to the lower angle, opposite it. The body prints Saturne or Mars, though “the one … the other” and the marginal et require the pair. The modern column therefore reads Saturn and Mars. Behold means be in astrological aspect.

2234.This is an elliptical list in the source. Quartâ lunâ natos means those born on the fourth lunar day; eclipses and earthquakes follow without a verb specifying their connection. The modern text preserves the list rather than supplying an unsupported causal claim.

2235.The Lord of the geniture is the planet judged to govern the nativity. Compare Ptolemy, Tetrabiblos III.14, on the moon, Mercury, the horizon, Saturn and Mars in disorders of the soul. That passage speaks of the moon and Mercury being unrelated; Burton here prints an aspect between them. No silent correction has been made. His historical categories overlap and are not 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.

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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.

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