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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 MelancholySubsection 4 Precious Stones Metals and Minerals as Alteratives

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Facing Pages · Branch 618 of 1495

Subsection 4 Precious Stones Metals and Minerals as Alteratives

Book Mode

1651 English

370–371–371

Levinus Lemnius Institut. ad vit. cap. 58. amongst other Jewels makes mention of two more notable; Carbuncle and Corall, which drive away childish fears, Divels, overcome sorrow, and hung about the neck repress troublesome dreams, which properties almost Cardan gives to that green coloured Emmetris, if it be carried about, or worn in a ring; Rueus to the Diamond.

Nicholas Cabeus a Jesuit of Farrara, in the first book of his magneticall Philosophy, cap. 3 speaking of the vertues of a loadstone recites many severall opinions; some say that if it be taken in parcels inward, si quis per frusta voret, juventutem restituet, it will like vipers wine, restore one to his youth, and yet if carried about them, others will have it to cause melancholy; let experience determine.

Mercurialis admires the Emerald for his vertues in pacifying all affections of the mind; others the Saphyre, which is the fairest of all precious stones, of skye colour, and a great enemy to black choler, frees the mind, mends manners, &c. Jacobus de Dondis in his Catalogue of Simples, hath AmberGreece, os in corde cervi, the bone in a Stags heart, a Monocerots horn, Bezoars stone (of which elsewhere) it is found in the belly of a little beast in the East Indies brought into Europe by Hollanders and our country-men Merchants. Renodeus cap. 22. lib. 3. de ment. med. saith he saw two of these beasts alive in the Castle of the Lord of Vitry at Coubert.

Lapis Lazuli and Armenus because they purge, shall be mentioned in their place.

Of the rest in brief thus much I will adde out of Cardan, Renodeus cap. 23. lib. 3. Rondoletius lib. 1. de Testat. c. 15. &c. That almost all Jewels and pretious stones, have excellent vertues to pacifie the affections of the mind, for which cause rich men so much covet to have them: and those smaller Unions which are found in shells amongst the Persians and Indians, by the consent of all writers, are very cordial, and most part avail to the exhilaration of the heart.

Most men say as much of Gold, and some other Minerals, as these have done of pretious stones. Erastus still maintains the opposite part. Disput. in Paracelsum cap. 4. fol. 196. he confesseth of gold, that it makes the heart merry, but in no other sense but as it is in a misers chest: at mihi plaudo simulac nummos contemplor in arcâ, as he said in the Poet, it so revives the spirits, and is an excellent receit against Melancholy,

For Gold in Physick is a cordial, Therefore he loved Gold in special.

7559.BurtonPrinted page 370, z: “Valet ad fugandos timores & dæmones, turbulenta somnia abigit, & nocturnos puerorum timores compescit.” It is effective in banishing fears and demons, dispels troubled dreams, and checks children’s night fears.

7560.BurtonPrinted page 371, a: “Somnia læta facit argenteo annulo gestatus.” Worn in a silver ring, it makes dreams pleasant.

7563.BurtonPrinted page 371, b: “Atræ bili adversatur, omnium gemmarum pulcherrima, cœli colorem refert, animum ab errore liberat, mores in melius mutat.” It opposes black bile; the most beautiful of all gems, it resembles the colour of the sky, frees the mind from error and improves conduct.

7564.BurtonPrinted page 371, c: “Longis mœroribus feliciter medetur, deliquiis, &c.” It successfully remedies prolonged grief, fainting fits and so forth.

7565.BurtonPrinted page 371, d: “Sect. 5. Memb. 1. Subs. 5.” Section 5, member 1, subsection 5.

7568.BurtonPrinted page 371, e: “Gestamen lapidum & gemmarum maximum fert auxilium & juvamen; unde qui dites sunt gemmas secum ferre studeant.” Wearing stones and gems brings very great help and relief; hence those who are rich should take care to carry gems with them.

7569.BurtonPrinted page 371, f: “Margaritæ & Uniones quæ à conchis & piscibus apud Persas & Indos, valde cordiales sunt, &c.” Pearls and large pearls obtained from shells and fish among the Persians and Indians are very strengthening to the heart, and so on.

7571.BurtonPrinted page 371, unmarked subject label: “Minerals.”

7572.BurtonPrinted page 371, g: “Aurum lætitiam generat, non in corde, sed in arcâ virorum.” Gold generates joy, not in people’s hearts but in their chests of money.

7574.BurtonPrinted page 371, dagger: “Chaucer.”

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Subsection 4 Precious Stones Metals and Minerals as Alteratives

p. 618

Among other jewels, Levinus Lemnius, Institutes for Life, chapter 58, mentions two more notable ones, carbuncle and coral, “which drive away childish fears and devils, overcome sorrow and, hung about the neck, suppress troublesome dreams.” Cardano gives nearly the same properties to the green stone emmetris when carried on the person or worn in a ring, and La Rue gives them to diamond.

Niccolò Cabeo, a Jesuit of Ferrara, recounts many different opinions about the powers of a lodestone in the first book of his Magnetic Philosophy, chapter 3. Some say that if it is swallowed in pieces—“if anyone swallows it in fragments, it will restore youth”—it will, like viper wine, restore a person’s youth. Yet others maintain that carrying it about causes melancholy. Let experience decide.

Mercurialis admires the emerald for its power to calm all emotions of the mind; others admire sapphire, “the fairest of all precious stones, sky-coloured and a great enemy to black bile: it frees the mind and improves conduct,” and so on. In his Catalogue of Simples, Jacobus de Dondis includes ambergris; “the bone in a stag’s heart”—a bone in the heart of a stag; a unicorn’s horn; and bezoar stone, discussed elsewhere. This last is found in the belly of a small animal in the East Indies and is brought to Europe by Dutch merchants and our own countrymen. Renodaeus, book 3, chapter 22, On Medicinal Materials, says that he saw two of these animals alive in the castle of the Lord of Vitry at Coubert.

Lapis lazuli and Armenian stone will be discussed in their proper place, because they purge.

Of the rest I will briefly add this much from Cardano; Renodaeus, book 3, chapter 23; Rondelet, book 1 On Shellfish, chapter 15; and others: “Almost all jewels and precious stones have excellent powers to calm the emotions of the mind,” which is why rich people are so eager to possess them. “And those smaller pearls found in shells among the Persians and Indians,” by the agreement of all writers, “are very strengthening to the heart,” and generally help to cheer it.

Most people say as much of gold and some other minerals as these writers have said of precious stones. Erastus still takes the opposing side. In his Disputations against Paracelsus, chapter 4, folio 196, he admits that gold “makes the heart merry, but only in the sense that it lies in a miser’s chest.” “But I applaud myself as soon as I gaze at the coins in my chest,” as the man in the poet says. In that way it revives the spirits and makes an excellent remedy for melancholy.

For gold in medicine strengthens the heart; Therefore he loved gold especially.

7561.“Carbuncle” is a historical gem name. The reading Emmetris is retained because its precise identification remains uncertain. Burton gives it nearly the same properties as carbuncle and coral, while the Latin note makes the narrower claim of pleasant dreams when worn in a silver ring. The body and margin should not be flattened into one statement.

7562.A lodestone is a naturally magnetic stone. Burton balances contradictory claims of restored youth and induced melancholy, then appeals to experience to decide. The short Latin clause is translated separately from his ensuing English gloss. The exact chapter in Cabeo remains to be collated.

7566.Monoceros means a unicorn in this medicinal vocabulary. Bezoar denotes a concretion found inside an animal; Burton’s account of its origin and trade is retained. He does not identify the particular animals seen at Coubert. The stag-heart phrase is translated twice because Burton gives both Latin and an English gloss. The printed cross-reference and abbreviated Renodaeus title are preserved.

7567.Armenus is the Armenian stone of the historical pharmacopoeia. These stones are deferred because Burton classifies them as purgatives rather than alteratives. Precise modern mineral identification is not supplied from the name alone.

7570.“Unions” means pearls, not a mixture of ingredients. The Latin margin names margaritae and uniones, traditionally pearls and large pearls, whereas the English calls these “smaller Unions”; both formulations are retained. “Cordial” again means strengthening or cheering the heart. Burton’s appeal to all writers is his own generalization.

7573.Horace, Satires 1.1.66–67, gives the miser’s self-applause over his coins. Burton omits ipse domi, “myself at home,” and joins the remaining phrases; the modern column follows his shortened quotation. The joke turns medicine’s gold into accumulated money. The unmarked Minerals label begins this new portion of the argument.

7575.Chaucer, Canterbury Tales, General Prologue 443–444, in the portrait of the Physician. Burton’s wording and spelling are retained on the left; the new rendering keeps the two-line form. The joke exploits both the alleged medicinal value of gold and the physician’s fondness for money. Harvard’s Chaucer text confirms the passage.

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.