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 3. Causes of Head Melancholy.

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Facing Pages · Branch 361 of 1495

Subsection 3. Causes of Head Melancholy.

Book Mode

1651 English

176

Hercules de Saxonia, cap. 16. lib. 1. will have it caused from a cautery, or boyl dried up, or any issue. Amatus Lusitanus cent. 2. cura. 67. gives instance in a fellow, that had a hole in his arm, after that was healed, ran mad, and when the wound was open, he was cured again.

Trincavelius consil. 13. lib. 1. hath an example of a melancholy man so caused by overmuch continuance in the Sun, frequent use of Venery, and immoderate exercise: And in his cons. 49. lib. 3. from an headpiece overheated, which caused head-melancholy. Prosper Calenus brings in Cardinall Cæsius for a pattern of such as are so melancholy by long study: but examples are infinite.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 3. Causes of Head Melancholy.

p. 361

Hercules de Saxonia, in chapter 16 of book 1, holds that it can be caused when a cautery wound, boil or any draining sore dries up. Amatus Lusitanus, in case 67 of his second hundred, gives the example of a man who had a hole in his arm: after it healed, he went mad; when the wound was open, he was cured again.

Trincavelius, in consultation 13 of book 1, has an example of a man whose melancholy was caused by staying too long in the sun, frequent sexual intercourse and excessive exercise; and in consultation 49 of book 3, an instance of head melancholy caused by an overheated helmet. Prosper Calenus offers Cardinal Caesius as an example of those made melancholic by prolonged study. But the examples are endless.

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.

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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.