The Anatomy of Melancholy

Name: The Anatomy of Melancholy
Author: Robert Burton

1651 English with a close modern English rendering

Explore the Lexicon

The Anatomy of MelancholyMember 4 Against Servitude, Loss of Liberty, Imprisonment and Banishment

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

Facing Pages · Branch 578 of 1495

Member 4 Against Servitude, Loss of Liberty, Imprisonment and Banishment

Book Mode

1651 English

327 [misprint for 340]

Alexander, Cæsar, Trajan, Adrian, were as so many land-leapers, now in the East, now in the West, little at home, and Polus Venetus, Lod. Vertomannus, Pinzonus, Cadamustus, Columbus, Americus Vesputius, Vascus Gama, Drake, Candish, Oliver a Nort, Schoutien, got all their honour by voluntary expeditions.

But you say such mens travel is voluntary; we are compelled, and as malefactors must depart: yet know this of Plato to be true; ultori Deo summa cura peregrinus est, God hath an especiall care of strangers, and when he wants friends and allies, he shall deserve better and find more favour with God and men. Besides the pleasure of peregrination, variety of objects will make amends, and so many nobles, Tully, Aristides, Themistocles, Theseus, Codrus, &c. as have been banished, will give sufficient credit unto it. Read Pet. Alcionius his two books of this subject.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Member 4 Against Servitude, Loss of Liberty, Imprisonment and Banishment

p. 578

Alexander, Caesar, Trajan and Hadrian were so many wanderers, now in the East, now in the West, seldom at home. Marco Polo, Ludovico di Varthema, Pinzón, Cadamosto, Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, Vasco da Gama, Drake, Cavendish, Olivier van Noort and Schouten won all their honour through journeys undertaken voluntarily.

But you say that such men travel voluntarily, whereas we are compelled to leave as wrongdoers. Yet know that Plato’s saying is true: “The stranger is the particular concern of God the avenger.” God takes special care of strangers; when a man lacks friends and allies, he will deserve better and find greater favour with God and people. Besides the pleasure of travel, the variety of things to see will compensate for exile. So many distinguished men have been banished—Cicero, Aristides, Themistocles, Theseus, Codrus and others—that they will lend it sufficient honour. Read Pietro Alcionio’s two books on this subject.

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.