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Robert Burton

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 6 Poverty and Want as Causes of Melancholy

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Modern English Page · Branch 331 of 1495

Subsection 6 Poverty and Want as Causes of Melancholy

Book Mode

1651 English

154–155

Quando ego te Junonium puerum, & matris partum verè aureum, as Tully said of Octavianus, while he was adopted Cæsar, & an heir apparent of so great a Monarchy, he was a golden child. All honor, offices, applause, grand titles, and turgent Epithets are put upon him, omnes omnia bona dicere; all mens eyes are upon him, God bless his good worship, his honour; every man speaks well of him, every man presents him, seeks and sues to him for his love, favour & protection, to serve him, belong unto him, every man riseth to him, as to Themistocles in the Olympicks, if he speak, as of Herod, Vox Dei, non hominis, the voyce of God, not of man.

All the graces, Veneres, pleasures, elegances attend him, golden Fortune accompanies and lodgeth with him; and as to those Roman Emperours, is placed in his chamber.

— Securâ naviget aurâ, Fortunamque suo temperet arbitrio:

he may sayl as he will himself, and temper his estate at his pleasure, Joviall dayes, splendor and magnificence, sweet Musick, dainty fare, the good things, and fat of the land, fine clothes, rich attires, soft beds, down pillows are at his command, all the world labours for him, thousands of Artificers are his slaves to drudge for him, run, ride, and post for him:

Divines (for Pythia Philippisat) Lawyers, Physicians, Philosophers, Scholars are his, wholly devote to his service. Every man seeks his acquaintance, his kindred, to match with him, though he be an aufe, a ninny, a monster, a goos-cap, uxorem ducat Danaen, when, and whom he will, hunc optant generum Rex & Regina — he is an excellent match for my son, my daughter, my niece, &c.

Quicquid calcaverit hic, Rosa fiet, let him go whither he will, Trumpets sound, Bels ring, &c. all happinesse attends him, every man is willing to entertain him, he sups in Apollo wheresoever he comes; what preparation is made for his entertainment? fish & fowl, spices and perfumes, all that sea and land affords. What cookery, masking, mirth to exhilarate his person?

Da Trebio, pone ad Trebium, vis frater ab illis Ilibus? — What dish will your good worship eat of?dulcia poma, Et quoscunque feret cultus tibi fundus honores, Ante Larem, gustet venerabilior Lare dives.Sweet apples, and what e’re thy fields afford, Before thy Gods be serv’d, let serve thy Lord.

3843.BurtonPrinted page 154, q: “Et genus, & formam, regina pecunia donat. Mony adds spirits, courage, &c.” Queen Money gives both lineage and beauty. Money adds spirit, courage and so on.

3844.BurtonPrinted page 154, r: “Epist. ult. ad Atticum.” The last letter to Atticus.

3845.BurtonPrinted page 154, s: “Our young Master, a fine towardly gentleman, God bless him, and hopefull; why? he is heir apparent to the right worshipfull, to the right honourable, &c.” Our young master, a fine, promising gentleman, God bless him, full of promise. Why? He is heir apparent to the Right Worshipful, the Right Honourable and so on.

3846.BurtonPrinted page 154, t, at the foot: “O nummi, nummi: vobis hunc præstat honorem.” O money, money: it is to you that he pays this honour.

3847.BurtonPrinted page 154, u, at the foot: “Exinde sapere eum omnes dicimus, ac quisque fortunam habet. Plaut. Pseud.” We all call a man wise according to the fortune each possesses. Plautus, Pseudolus.

3849.BurtonPrinted page 154, x, at the foot: “Aurea fortuna, principum cubiculis reponi solita. Julius Capitolinus vita Antonini.” Golden Fortune, customarily kept in the emperors’ bedchambers. Julius Capitolinus, Life of Antoninus.

3851.BurtonPrinted page 154, y, at the foot: “Petronius.” Petronius.

3854.BurtonPrinted page 154, star, at the foot: “Theologi opulentis adhærent, Jurisperiti pecuniosis, literati nummosis, liberalibus artifices.” Theologians attach themselves to the wealthy, lawyers to the moneyed, scholars to those with cash, craftsmen to the generous.

3855.BurtonPrinted page 155, z: “Multi illum juvenes, multæ petiere puellæ.” Many young men and many girls sought him.

3856.BurtonPrinted page 155, a: “Dummodo sit dives barbarus, ille placet.” So long as the barbarian is rich, he pleases.

3858.BurtonPrinted page 155, b: “Plut. in Lucullo, a rich Chamber so called.” Plutarch, Life of Lucullus: a sumptuous room so called.

3859.BurtonPrinted page 155, c: “Panis pane melior.” One bread better than another.

3861.BurtonPrinted page 155, d: “Juv. Sat. 5.” Juvenal, Satire 5.

3863.BurtonPrinted page 155, dagger: “Hor. Sat. 5. lib. 2.” Horace, Satires, book 2, satire 5.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 6 Poverty and Want as Causes of Melancholy

p. 331

“When I called you Juno’s boy, your mother’s truly golden child,” as Cicero said of Octavian when he had been adopted by Caesar and was heir apparent to so great a monarchy: he was a golden child. Every honour, office, acclamation, grand title and inflated epithet is bestowed upon him; “everyone said every good thing.” Everyone’s eyes are on him: God bless his worship, his honour! Everyone speaks well of him, gives him gifts, seeks him out and petitions him for love, favour and protection, to serve him and belong to his household. Everyone rises to honour him, as they did for Themistocles at the Olympic Games. If he speaks, they say, as they did of Herod, “the voice of a god, not of a man”: the voice of God, not of man.

All the Graces, the charms of Venus, pleasures and refinements attend him. Golden Fortune accompanies him and lodges with him, placed in his chamber as she was in those Roman emperors’ chambers.

Let him sail on a favourable breeze, And shape his fortune as he pleases.

He may sail wherever he wishes and manage his affairs as he pleases. Merry days, splendour and magnificence, sweet music, delicate food, the good things and abundance of the land, fine clothes, rich dress, soft beds and down pillows are all at his command. The whole world works for him; thousands of craftsmen are his slaves, to toil for him, run, ride and hurry on his errands.

Clergymen—for “the Pythia takes Philip’s side”—lawyers, physicians, philosophers and scholars belong to him, wholly devoted to his service. Everyone wants to know him, be related to him or marry into his family, though he be a fool, a ninny, a monster or a simpleton. “Let him marry Danaë,” whenever and whomever he wishes; “the king and queen desire him as a son-in-law.” He is an excellent match for my son, daughter, niece and so on.

“Whatever he treads on will become a rose.” Let him go where he wishes: trumpets sound, bells ring and so on. Every happiness attends him, everyone is ready to entertain him, and wherever he goes he dines in Apollo. What preparations are made for his reception! Fish and fowl, spices and perfumes, everything sea and land can supply. What cooking, masques and merriment to cheer him!

“Give it to Trebius; set it before Trebius. Brother, would you like Some of those choice cuts?” What dish would your worship like?

Sweet fruit, And whatever bounty your cultivated farm will yield you, Let the rich man taste before the household god, for he is more revered.

Sweet apples, and whatever your fields afford, Before your gods are served, let them serve your lord.

3848.The adjoining quotations are Horace, Epistles 1.6.37, and Juvenal 5.136. The golden-child phrase belongs to the pseudonymous Letter to Octavian, located in Le Clerc’s translation and note 5, which quotes Junonium puerum and partum aureum. His introduction records its rejection as genuine Cicero. Burton’s last-letter-to-Atticus citation remains, but should not be taken as authentication; his full Latin and its edition history still need collation. Plautus, Pseudolus 679–682, says good fortune makes a man seem wise; Burton rearranges this and applies it to wealth. Turgent means inflated; worship and honour are titles. Themistocles’s acclaim is Plutarch, Themistocles 17.4; Herod’s, Acts 12:22.

3850.Veneres is the plural of Venus, here charms or attractions. The golden Fortune appears in Historia Augusta, Antoninus Pius 12.5, traditionally ascribed to Julius Capitolinus: the dying emperor orders the image, customarily kept in the imperial bedchamber, transferred to Marcus. Burton adapts this sign of imperial succession into an image of the rich man’s good fortune.

3852.Petronius, Satyricon 137.9. This is the beginning of a poem about the power of money, whose later lines recur below. Burton starts after Quisquis habet nummos, whoever has money, and follows the verse with his own English restatement.

3853.Temper his estate means manage or regulate his condition and resources. Artificers are skilled workers or craftsmen; post means travel or carry messages with speed. The expanded modern wording preserves Burton’s catalogue of comforts and service.

3857.Divines are theologians or clergymen. Pythia Philippisat means that the Delphic priestess favours Philip; the phrase makes religious authority serve a patron. Aufe and goos-cap are terms for a fool. Danaë is the woman visited by Jupiter as a shower of gold; the phrase is from Petronius, Satyricon 137.9. The royal son-in-law line adapts Persius, Satire 2.38. The margin’s Multi illum line adapts Ovid, Metamorphoses 3.353, on Narcissus: Burton prints petiere where the consulted text has cupiere. The second marginal marriage quotation remains for exact collation.

3860.Plutarch, Lucullus 41.3–5, describes Apollo as the name of a dining room whose name told the servants the scale of dinner required. Masques were elaborate entertainments with costume, music and performance. The rose wish adapts Persius, Satire 2.38–39, where a nurse prays extravagantly for a child. Panis pane melior remains unassigned to a precise source.

3862.Juvenal, Satire 5.135–136. The host would speak so generously to Trebius if he suddenly became rich. Burton prints ab illis where the consulted text has ab ipsis. Ilibus means flanks or portions cut from the sides; choice cuts renders the offer of meat. Burton’s English question follows his Latin quotation and is separately retained.

3864.Horace, Satires 2.5.12–14. In this satire on legacy hunting, the rich man is fed before the household god, the Lar. Burton’s following English couplet is his separate verse rendering and remains distinct from the fresh translation.

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.