DiotimosReading Desk

Diotimos Library · Journals, Notebooks & Fragments Collection · Parallel Edition

Robert Burton

The Anatomy of Melancholy

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

Explore the Lexicon
The Anatomy of MelancholyMember 2. Lawful Cures, First From God.

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

Modern English Page · Branch 429 of 1495

Member 2. Lawful Cures, First From God.

Book Mode

1651 English

223

As much faulty are they that prescribe, as they that ask, respecting wholy their gain, and trusting more to their ordinary receipts and medicines many times, then to him that made them. I would wish all patients in this behalf, in the midst of their melancholy, to remember that of Siracides, Ecc. 1.12. and 12. The fear of the Lord is glory and gladness, and rejoycing. The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth gladness, and joy, and long life.

And all such as prescribe Physick, to begin in nomine Dei, as Messue did, to imitate Lælius a Fonte Eugubinus, that in all his consultations, still concludes with a prayer for the good success of his business; and to remember that of Crato one of their predecessors, fuge avaritiam, & sine oratione & invocatione Dei nihil facias, avoid covetousness, and do nothing without invocation upon God.

223

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Member 2. Lawful Cures, First From God.

p. 429

Those who prescribe are as much at fault as those who seek their help: they think entirely of their profit and often trust their customary prescriptions and medicines more than the one who made them. In this respect, I would urge all patients, in the midst of their melancholy, to remember the words of the son of Sirach, Ecclesiasticus 1:11–12: “The fear of the Lord is glory, gladness and rejoicing. The fear of the Lord makes the heart cheerful and gives gladness, joy and long life.”

I would urge everyone who prescribes medicine to begin “in the name of God,” as Mesue did; to imitate Laelius a Fonte of Gubbio, who always ends his consultations with a prayer for the success of his work; and to remember the words of Crato, one of their predecessors: “Shun greed, and do nothing without prayer and invocation of God”—avoid covetousness, and do nothing without calling upon God.

429

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.