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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 7. a Collection of Other Events That Cause Melancholy: The Death Of…

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Facing Pages · Branch 351 of 1495

Subsection 7. a Collection of Other Events That Cause Melancholy: The Death Of…

Book Mode

1651 English

169–170–170

Ronseus epist. miscel.3. reports of a Gentlewoman 25. years old; that falling foule with one of her Gossips, was upbraided with a secret infirmity, (no matter what) in publike and so much grieved with it, that shee did thereupon solitudines quærere, omnes ab se ablegare, ac tandem in gravissimam incidens melancholiam, contabescere, forsake all company, quite moped, and in a melancholy humor pine away.

Others are as much tortured to see themselve rejected, contemned, scorned, disabled, dis-famed, detracted, undervalued, or left behind their fellow’s. Lucian brings in Ætamacles a Philosopher in his Lapith.convivio, much discontented that he was not invited amongst the rest, expostulating the matter, in a long Epistle with Aristenetus their Host.

Prætextatus a robed Gentleman in Plutarch, would not sit down at a Feast, because he might not sit highest, but went his wayes all in a chafe. We see the common quarrellings that are ordinary with us, for taking of the wall, precedency, and the like, which though toyes in themselves, and things of no moment, yet they cause many distempers, much heart-burning amongst us.

Nothing pierceth deeper then a contempt or disgrace, especially if they be generous spirits, scarce anything affects them more, then to be despised or vilified. Crato consil.16.l.2. exemplifies it, and common experience confirmes it.

Of the same nature is oppression, Ecclus,77. surely oppression makes a man mad, loss of liberty, which made Brutus venture his life, Cato kill himself, & Tully complain, Omnem hilaritatem in perpetuum amisi, mine heart’s broken, I shall never look up, or be merry again, hæc jactura intolerabilis, to some parties ’tis a most intolerable loss.

Banishment a great misery, as Tyrteus describes it in an Epigram of his,

Nam miserum est patriâ amissa, laribusque vagari Mendicum, & timidâ voce rogare cibos: Omnibus invisus, quocunque accesserit exul Semper erit, semper spretus egensque jacet, &c.A miserable thing ’tis so to wander, And like a begger for to whine at door, Contemn’d of all the world, an exile is, Hated, rejected, needy still and poor.

Polynices in his conference with Iocasta in Euripides, reckons up five miseries of a banished man, the least of which alone, were enough to deject some pusillanimous creatures. Oftentimes a too great feeling of our own infirmities or imperfections of body or minde, will rivel us up: as if we be long sick:

O beata sanitas, te præsente, amœnum Ver florit gratiis, absque te nemo beatus:

4157.BurtonPrinted page 169, z: “Turpe relinqui est, Hor.” “It is shameful to be left behind.” Horace. This note anticipates the phrase on the next printed page and is repeated there.

4158.BurtonPrinted page 170, z, repeated: “Turpe relinqui est, Hor.” “It is shameful to be left behind.” Horace. Both printed occurrences are retained.

4161.BurtonPrinted page 170, b: “Scimus enim generosas naturas, nulla re citius moveri, aut gravius affici quam contemptu ac despicientia.” “For we know that noble natures are moved by nothing more quickly, or affected by nothing more deeply, than contempt and disdain.”

4163.BurtonPrinted page 170, †: “An Atticum epist.lib.12.” Letters to Atticus, book 12. The printed An is retained; the intended title is Ad Atticum.

4164.BurtonPrinted page 170, *: “Epist.ad Brutum.” Letters to Brutus.

4167.BurtonPrinted page 170, c: “In Phœniss.” In The Phoenician Women.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 7. a Collection of Other Events That Cause Melancholy: The Death Of…

p. 351

Ronsse, Miscellaneous Letters 3, reports the case of a gentlewoman of twenty-five who quarrelled with one of her female friends and was publicly reproached with a secret infirmity—no matter what. She was so distressed by it that she began “to seek solitude, send everyone away from her, and at last, falling into the deepest melancholy, waste away”: she forsook all company, became utterly withdrawn, and pined away in a melancholy state.

Others are just as tormented to find themselves rejected, despised, scorned, disparaged, defamed, slandered, undervalued, or left behind their fellows. In his Symposium, or The Lapiths, Lucian introduces the philosopher Aetamacles, deeply displeased at not being invited with the others, protesting about it in a long letter to their host Aristaenetus.

Praetextatus, a gentleman in a robe in Plutarch, would not sit down at a feast because he could not take the highest place, but went away in a fury. We see the everyday quarrels among us over taking the wall, precedence and the like: although trifles in themselves and matters of no importance, they cause many disturbances and much resentment among us.

Nothing cuts deeper than contempt or disgrace, especially in people of noble spirit; scarcely anything affects them more than being despised or vilified. Crato, consultation 16, book 2, gives an example, and common experience confirms it.

Of the same nature is oppression—Ecclesiastes 7:7, “Surely oppression makes a man mad”—and loss of liberty, which made Brutus risk his life, Cato kill himself, and Cicero lament, “I have lost all cheerfulness for ever”: my heart is broken; I shall never lift my head or be merry again. “This loss is unbearable”: to some people it is a most intolerable loss.

Banishment is a great misery, as Tyrtaeus describes it in a poem of his:

For it is wretched, country and home lost, to wander A beggar, and ask for food in a timid voice. Wherever the exile goes, he will always be hated By all; always despised, he lies in want, and so on.

A miserable thing it is to wander so, And like a beggar whine from door to door; Despised by all the world, an exile is Hated, rejected, always needy, poor.

In his conversation with Jocasta in Euripides, Polynices lists five miseries of a banished man, the least of which alone would be enough to cast down some faint-hearted creatures. Often an excessive awareness of our own infirmities or imperfections of body or mind will shrivel us up, as when we are ill for a long time.

O blessed health, in your presence pleasant Spring blooms with charms; without you no one is happy.

4156.Gossip here means a familiar female companion, originally a fellow godparent, not necessarily a person spreading rumours. Moped describes withdrawal and dejection. Boudewijn Ronsse’s Miscellaneous Letters 3 is Burton’s cited source; the report’s exact wording remains uncollated.

4159.Both z notes quote Horace, Art of Poetry 417. Lucian, Symposium 21–24, names the excluded Stoic Hetoimocles (Ἑτοιμοκλῆς): his letter to Aristaenetus denies concern for food while bitterly protesting the slight. Ætamacles is Burton’s form, retained here; its origin in his intermediary edition remains uncollated.

4160.Plutarch, Table Talk 1.2.1, describes an unnamed, richly dressed stranger leaving Timon’s feast because no place suits his rank. Praetextatus is Latin for wearing a bordered robe; the Greek passage supplies no such personal name. Burton’s Latin intermediary remains uncollated. Taking the wall means claiming precedence beside the buildings; highest means the seat of honour, in a chafe in a rage, and heart-burning resentment.

4162.Generous here means noble in birth, disposition or self-conception, rather than liberal in giving. Crato is Johannes Crato von Krafftheim; the consultation is retained with Burton’s book and number.

4165.Ecclus,77. points to Ecclesiastes 7:7. Cicero, To Atticus 12.40.3, says his former cheerfulness is lost, but immediately insists that his firmness remains. Burton abbreviates the Latin and expands it into despair in his English gloss; both are retained. The second phrase, attributed to a letter to Brutus, remains unlocated.

4166.Tyrtaeus is a Greek elegiac poet. The passage is given here in Burton’s Latin version, translated afresh, followed separately by a modernization of his English verse. The precise Latin intermediary has not been identified; no claim is made that these are Tyrtaeus’s original words.

4168.Euripides, The Phoenician Women: the exchange between Polynices and Jocasta concerns exile and its humiliations. Burton’s count of five miseries and his immediate edition remain to be collated. Pusillanimous means faint-hearted; rivel means shrivel or wrinkle.

4169.Compare the close parallel in Ariphron’s hymn to Health, preserved in Athenaeus, Deipnosophists 15.63 (702a–b): pleasures flourish with Health, and no one is happy without her. This identifies the Greek parallel, not Burton’s precise Latin intermediary. His separate English appeal and biblical reference are retained.

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.