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

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Facing Pages · Branch 540 of 1495

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

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1651 English

310–311

Whereas many a man would think himself in heaven, a petty Prince, if he had but the lest part of that fortune which thou so much repinest at, abhorrest and accountest a most vile and wretched estate. How many thousands want that which thou hast: how many myriades of poor slaves, captives, of such as work day and night in cole-pits, tin mines, with sore toil to maintain a poor living, of such as labour in body and minde, live in extreme anguish, and pain, all which thou art free from? O fortunatos nimium bona si sua norint: Thou art most happy if thou couldst be content, and acknowledge thy happiness;

Rem carendo, non fruendo cognoscimus, when thou shalt hereafter come to want, that which thou now loathest, abhorrest, and art weary of, and tired with, when ’tis past thou wilt say thou wert most happy: and after a little misse, wish with all thine heart, thou hadst the same content again, mightst lead but such a life, a world for such a life: the remembrance of it is pleasant.

Be silent then, rest satisfied, desine, intuensque in aliorum infortunia solare mentem, comfort thy self with other mens misfortunes, and as the moldiwarpe in Æsope told the fox, complaining for want of a tail, and the rest of his companions, tacete, quando me oculis captum videtis; you complain of toies, but I am blinde, be quiet. I say to thee be thou satisfied.

It is recorded of the hares, that with a generall consent they went to drown themselves, out of a feeling of their misery; but when they saw a company of frogs more fearfull then they were, they began to take courage, & comfort again. Confer thine estate with others. Similes aliorum respice casus, mitius ista feres. Be content and rest satisfied, for thou art well in respect of others;

be thankfull for that thou hast, that God hath done for thee, he hath not made thee a monster, a beast, a base creature, as he might, but a man, a Christian, such a man; consider aright of it, thou art full well as thou art.

Quicquid vult habere nemo potest, no man can have what he will, Illud potest nolle quod non habet, he may chuse whether he will desire that which he hath not: Thy lot is falne, make the best of it. If we should all sleep at all times, (as Endymion is said to have done) who then were happier then his fellow? Our life is but short, a very dream, and while we look about Immortalitas adest, eternity is at hand:

Our life is a pilgrimage on earth, which wise men passe with great alacrity. If thou be in woe, sorrow, want, distresse, in pain, or sicknesse, think of that of our Apostle, God chastiseth them whom he loveth: They that sowe in tears, shall reap in joy, Psal. 126. 6. As the fornace proveth the potters vessell, so doth temptation trie mens thoughts, Eccl. 25. 5. ’tis for thy good, Periisses nisi periisses: Hadst thou not been so visited, thou hadst been utterly undone; as gold in the fire, so men are tried in adversity.

Tribulatio ditat: And which Camerarius hath well shadowed in an Embleme of a thresher and corn,

Si tritura absit paleis sunt abdita grana, Nos crux mundanis separat à paleis:As threshing separates from straw the corn, By crosses from the worlds chaffe are we born.

6438.BurtonPrinted page 310, k: “Quam multos putas qui se cœlo proximos putarent, totidem regulos, si de fortunæ tuæ reliquiis pars iis minima contingat. Boeth de consol. lib. 2. pros. 4.” How many do you suppose would think themselves close to heaven, so many little kings, if even the smallest part of the remains of your fortune fell to them? Boethius, Consolation of Philosophy, book 2, prose 4.

6440.BurtonPrinted page 310, l: “Hesiod. Esto quod es; quod sunt alii, sine quemlibet esse; Quod non es, nolis; quod potes esse, velis.” Hesiod: be what you are; let everyone else be what he is. Do not wish to be what you are not; wish to be what you can be.

6442.BurtonPrinted page 310, m: “Æsopi fab.” Aesop’s fables.

6444.BurtonPrinted page 311, n: “Seneca.” Seneca.

6445.BurtonPrinted page 311, o: “Si dormirent semper omnes, nullus alio felicior esset. Card.” If everyone slept forever, no one would be happier than anyone else. Cardano.

6446.BurtonPrinted page 311, p: “Seneca de ira.” Seneca, On Anger.

6448.BurtonPrinted page 311, q: “Plato, Axiocho. An ignoras vitam hanc peregrinationem, &c. quam sapientes cum gaudio percurrunt.” Plato, Axiochus: do you not know that this life is a pilgrimage, etc., which wise people travel with joy?

6449.BurtonPrinted page 311, r: “Sic expedit; medicus non dat quod patiens vult, sed quod ipse bonum scit.” This is beneficial: a physician gives not what the patient wants, but what he himself knows to be good.

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

p. 540

Many a person would think himself in heaven, a little prince, if he possessed even the smallest part of the fortune you so resent, abhor, and consider utterly wretched. How many thousands lack what you have! How many tens of thousands of poor slaves and captives, people working day and night in coal pits and tin mines, toiling painfully for a poor living, labouring in body and mind, live in extreme anguish and pain—from all of which you are free! “How fortunate they are, if only they knew their blessings!” You are very happy, if only you could be content and acknowledge your happiness.

“We learn a thing’s worth by lacking it, not by enjoying it.” When you later lack what you now loathe, abhor, and find wearisome, once it has gone you will say how happy you were. After missing it even briefly, you will wish with all your heart to have the same contentment again, to lead just such a life. You would give the world for such a life; even remembering it is pleasant.

Be silent, then, and remain content: “Stop, and comfort your mind by looking at other people’s misfortunes.” Console yourself with others’ troubles. As Aesop’s mole told the fox, who complained of having no tail, and his other companions, “Be quiet, when you see that I have lost my sight.” You complain of trifles, but I am blind: be quiet. I say to you: be content.

The story tells how the hares, conscious of their misery, all agreed to go and drown themselves. But when they saw a group of frogs more frightened than themselves, they began to recover their courage and comfort. Compare your situation with others’: “Look at similar misfortunes in others, and you will bear your own more calmly.” Be content and satisfied, for you are well off compared with others.

Be thankful for what you have and what God has done for you. He has not made you a monster, a beast, or a lowly creature, as he might have done, but a human being, a Christian, the person you are. Consider it properly: you are very well as you are.

“No one can have whatever he wants”: no one can have everything he wishes. “He can choose not to want what he does not have”: he can decide whether to desire what he lacks. Your lot has fallen; make the best of it. If we all slept all the time, as Endymion is said to have done, who would be happier than anyone else? Our life is short, a mere dream; while we look around, “immortality is upon us”—eternity is at hand.

Our life is a pilgrimage on earth, which wise people travel with great cheerfulness. If you are in distress, sorrow, want, pain, or sickness, remember our Apostle’s words: God disciplines those he loves. “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy,” Psalm 126:6. “As the furnace tests the potter’s vessel, so trials test people’s thoughts,” Ecclesiasticus 25:5. It is for your good: “You would have perished had you not perished.” Had you not suffered such an affliction, you would have been utterly ruined. As gold is tested in fire, so people are tested in adversity.

“Affliction enriches.” Camerarius has aptly represented this in an emblem of a thresher and grain:

Without threshing, the grain lies hidden in the chaff; The cross separates us from the world’s chaff.

As threshing separates the grain from straw, Afflictions carry us from the world’s chaff.

6439.The Boethian comparison is Consolation 2, prose 4. Burton’s marginal wording adds the image of “little kings.” The Latin exclamation is adapted from Virgil, Georgics 2.458, which originally praises the life of farmers.

6441.“Moldiwarpe” means mole. Burton’s story treats the mole as blind and adds it to an animal fable about dissatisfaction. The marginal verses attributed to Hesiod have not yet been traced to a specific passage; the attribution remains Burton’s.

6443.This is the traditional fable of the Hares and the Frogs: the hares’ panic frightens the frogs, showing them creatures more fearful still. Burton uses the story to illustrate consolation by comparison. The following Latin maxim is translated without assigning an unverified author.

6447.Seneca, Letter 123.3, supplies the maxim about wanting and having. Endymion is the mythical perpetual sleeper. On Anger 3.43.5 ends iam mortalitas aderit, “mortality will soon be upon us,” in an appeal to abandon anger because life is short. Burton prints Immortalitas adest, “immortality is upon us,” and glosses it as eternity. Both columns preserve this different wording; its immediate textual source remains unidentified.

6450.The Apostle’s saying recalls Hebrews 12:6. The sowing-and-reaping words occur at Psalm 126:5 in standard modern English numbering; Burton prints 126.6. The furnace comparison is Ecclesiasticus, or Sirach, 27:5 in the King James numbering; the 1651 text prints Eccl.25.5. Both printed references remain in the two columns, with the discrepancies recorded here.

6451.Camerarius, first century, emblem LXXXIV, has the motto Tribulatio ditat, “Affliction enriches,” a threshing scene and the quoted Latin distich. The picture and verses turn the separation of grain from chaff into purification through suffering. Burton’s Latin and his separate English couplet are both represented. The facing commentary also supplies parallels for the following patristic quotations.

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.