The Anatomy of Melancholy

Name: The Anatomy of Melancholy
Author: Robert Burton

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

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Facing Pages · Branch 539 of 1495

Section 3 Member 1. Subsection 1 a Digression on Consolation, Containing…

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1651 English

309–310

And so to others, even to that happiness of Augustus; Though he were Jupiters Almoner, Pluto’s Treasurer, Neptunes Admiral, it could not secure him. Such was Alcibiades fortune, Narsetes, that great Gonsalvus, & most famous mens, that as Jovius concludes, it is almost fatall to great princes, through their own default or otherwise circumvented with envy and malice, to lose their honours, and die contumeliously. ’Tis so, still hath been, and ever will be, Nihil est ab omni parte beatum,

There’s no perfection is so absolute, That some impurity doth not pollute.

Whatsoever is under the Moon is subject to corruption, alteration; and so long as thou livest upon earth look not for other. Thou shalt not here finde peaceable and chearfull dayes, quiet times, but rather cloudes, storms, calumnies, such is our fate. And as those errant planets in their distinct orbes have their severall motions, sometimes direct, stationary, Retrograde, in Apogæo, Perigæo, orientall, occidentall, combust, ferall, free, and as our Astrologers will, have their fortitudes & debilities, by reason of those good and bad irradiations, conferred to each others site in the heavens, in their terms, houses, case, detriments, &c. So we rise and fall in this world, ebbe and flow, in and out, reared and dejected, lead a troublesome life, subject to many accidents and casualties of fortunes, variety of passions, infirmities as well from our selves as others.

Yea, but thou thinkest thou art more miserable then the rest, other men are happy in respect of thee, their miseries are but flea-bitings to thine, thou alone art unhappy, none so bad as thy self. Yet if as Socrates said, All the men in the world should come and bring their grievances together, of body, minde, fortune, sores, ulcers, madness, epilepsies, agues, and all those common calamities of beggery, want, servitude, imprisonment, and lay them on a heap to be equally divided, wouldst thou share alike, and take thy portion, or be as thou art? Without question thou wouldst be as thou art. If some Jupiter should say, to give us all content,

Iam faciam quod vultis; eris tu qui modo miles, Mercator; tu consultus modo rusticus; hinc vos, Vos hinc mutatis discedite partibus; eia Quid statis? nolunt.Well be’t so then; you master souldier Shall be a merchant; your sir Lawyer A country Gentleman; go you to this, That side you: why stand ye? It’s well as ’tis.

Every man knowes his own, but not others defects and miseries; and ’tis the nature of all men still to reflect upon themselves, their own misfortunes, not to examine or consider other mens, not to confer themselves with others: To recount their miseries, but not their good gifts, fortunes, benefits, which they have, to ruminate on their adversity, but not once to think on their prosperity, not what they have, but what they want: to look still on them that go before, but not on those infinite numbers that come after.

6429.BurtonPrinted page 309, asterisk: “Vit. Gonsalvi lib. ult. ut ducibus fatale sit clarissimis à culpa sua, secus circumveniri cum malitia & invidia, imminutaque dignitate per contumeliam mori.” Life of Gonzalo, final book: it seems the fate of the most illustrious commanders, through their own fault or otherwise, to be ensnared by malice and envy and, with their dignity diminished, to die in disgrace.

6431.BurtonPrinted page 309, f: “In terris purum illum ætherem non invenies, & ventos serenos; nimbos potius, procellas, calumnias. Lips. cent. misc. ep. 8.” On earth you will not find that pure air and those clear winds, but rather clouds, storms, and slanders. Lipsius, Miscellaneous Century, letter 8.

6433.BurtonPrinted page 310, g: “Si omnes homines sua mala suasque curas in unum cumulum conferrent, æquis divisuri portionibus, &c.” If everyone brought his misfortunes and cares into one heap, to divide them into equal portions, etc.

6435.BurtonPrinted page 310, h: “Hor. ser. lib. 1.” Horace, Satires, book 1.

6437.BurtonPrinted page 310, i: “Quod unusquisque propria mala novit, aliorum nesciat, in causa est, ut se inter alios miserum putet. Cardan. lib. 3. de consol. Plutarch de consol. ad Apollonium.” Everyone knows his own troubles but is ignorant of others’; that is why he thinks himself miserable among them. Cardano, On Consolation, book 3; Plutarch, Consolation to Apollonius.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Section 3 Member 1. Subsection 1 a Digression on Consolation, Containing…

p. 539

The same befell others, even the fortunate Augustus. Had he been Jupiter’s distributor of gifts, Pluto’s treasurer, and Neptune’s admiral, it could not have made him safe. Such was the fortune of Alcibiades, Narses, the great Gonzalo, and most famous men. As Giovio concludes, it is almost the destiny of great princes, whether through their own fault or because envy and malice ensnare them, to lose their honours and die in disgrace. So it is, always has been, and always will be: “Nothing is happy in every respect.”

No perfection is so complete That some impurity does not taint it.

Everything beneath the moon is subject to decay and change; as long as you live on earth, expect nothing else. You will not find peaceful, cheerful days and quiet times here, but rather clouds, storms, and slander: such is our fate. Those wandering planets in their separate spheres have their various motions: sometimes direct, stationary, or retrograde; at apogee or perigee; eastern or western; combust, feral, or free. According to our astrologers, they have their strengths and weaknesses, arising from favourable or unfavourable rays in relation to one another’s positions in the heavens—in their terms, houses, condition, detriments, and so on. In the same way we rise and fall in this world, ebb and flow, come in and go out, are raised up and cast down. We lead troubled lives, subject to many accidents and turns of fortune, to changing passions and weaknesses arising both from ourselves and from others.

Yes, but you think you are more miserable than everyone else. Other people are happy compared with you; their troubles are mere flea-bites beside yours. You alone are unhappy; no one is as badly off. Yet suppose, as Socrates said, everyone in the world brought their troubles together—troubles of body, mind, and fortune; sores, ulcers, madness, epilepsy, fevers, and the common calamities of poverty, want, servitude, and imprisonment—and laid them in a heap to be divided equally. Would you take an equal share, or stay as you are? Without question you would stay as you are. Suppose some Jupiter said, to satisfy us all:

“I shall now do what you want: you who were a soldier Shall be a merchant; you, just now a lawyer, a farmer. Exchange your roles and go, you this way, you that! Come, why are you standing still?” They refuse.

Well, let it be so then: you, Master Soldier, Shall be a merchant; you, Sir Lawyer, A country gentleman. You go this way, You that: why stand still? Things are well as they are.

Everyone knows his own failings and miseries, but not those of others. It is human nature to dwell continually on ourselves and our own misfortunes, without examining or considering other people’s, or comparing ourselves with them. We count our miseries, but not the gifts, good fortune, and benefits we possess; brood on adversity, but never think of prosperity; consider what we lack, not what we have; and look continually at those ahead of us, but not at the countless people behind us.

6430.Jupiter, Pluto, and Neptune supply imaginary offices of boundless power and wealth. “Gonsalvus” is Gonzalo Fernández de Córdoba; “Jovius” is Paolo Giovio. The concluding Latin is Horace, Odes 2.16.27–28. Burton’s separate English couplet follows its fresh translation.

6432.“Under the Moon” denotes the changeable terrestrial realm. Direct, stationary, and retrograde describe apparent planetary motion; apogee and perigee are greatest and least distance from Earth in the model used here. Oriental and occidental describe a planet’s relation to the Sun; combust means obscured by proximity to it, and feral means lacking an aspect to another planet. Terms and houses are astrological divisions; detriment is an unfavourable placement. Printed “case” is rendered in the general sense “condition”; its precise astrological force remains uncertain. These technical terms form Burton’s analogy with fluctuating human fortunes, rather than an astronomical explanation of them.

6434.The shared heap of troubles is a consolatory anecdote attributed to Socrates; compare the treatment of common suffering in Plutarch’s Consolation to Apollonius. The precise wording and transmission of Burton’s anecdote remain for collation. “Agues” are fevers, especially recurring fevers.

6436.Horace, Satires 1.1.16–19. The speakers complain of their lives but refuse a god’s offer to exchange occupations. The 1651 text has nolunt, “they refuse,” where the consulted Latin has nolint. Burton’s English verse gives “country Gentleman” for rusticus, here freshly rendered “farmer.” Both versions 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.