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 MelancholyDemocritus Junior to the Reader

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1651 English Page · Branch 88 of 1495

Democritus Junior to the Reader

Book Mode

1651 English

56–56–57

Amongst our Towns, there is only London that bears the face of a City, Epitome Britanniae, a famous Emporium, second to none beyond Seas, a noble Mart: But sola crescit, decrescentibus aliis; and yet in my slender judgement, defective in many things.

The rest (some few excepted) are in mean estate, ruinous most part, poor and full of beggers, by reason of their decayed trades, neglected or bad policy, idlenesse of their Inhabitants, riot, which had rather beg or loyter, and be ready to starve, then work.

I cannot deny but that something may be said in defence of our Cities, that they are not so fair built, (for the sole magnificence of this Kingdom (concerning buildings) hath been of old in those Norman Castles and Religious Houses) so rich, thick sited, populous, as in some other countries; besides the reasons Cardan gives, Subtil. Lib. 11. we want Wine and Oyl, their two Harvests, we dwell in a colder Air, and for that cause must a little more liberally feed of Flesh, as all Northern Countries do: Our provision will not therefore extend to the maintenance of so many:

yet notwithstanding we have matter of all sorts, an open sea for traffick, as well as the rest, goodly Havens. And how can we excuse our negligence, our riot, drunkennesse, &c. and such enormities that follow it? We have excellent laws enacted, you will say, severe statutes, houses of correction, &c. to small purpose it seems, it is not houses will serve, but cities of correction, our trades generally ought to be reformed, wants supplied.

In other countries they have the same grievances, I confesse, but that doth not excuse us, wants, defects, enormities, idle drones, tumults, discords, contention, Law-suits, many Laws made against them to represse those innumerable brawls and Law-suits, excesse in Apparel, Diet, decay of Tillage, Depopulations, especially against Rogues, Beggars, Ægyptian vagabonds (so termed at least) which have swarmed all over Germany, France, Italy, Poland, as you may reade in Munster, Cranzius, and Aventinus; as those Tartars and Arabians at this day do in the Eastern countries:

947.Burtonp. 56, r: “Urbs animis numeroque potens, & robore gentis. Scaliger.” Editor: “A city powerful in spirit, in numbers, and in the strength of its people.” Attributed to Scaliger; the precise passage remains unlocated.

948.Burtonp. 56, s: “Camden.” Editor: William Camden is cited for the description of London as Britain in miniature; no work or section is specified.

949.Burtonp. 56, t: “York, Bristow, Norwich, Worcester, &c.” Editor: “Bristow” is Bristol.

951.Burtonp. 56, u: “M. Gainsfords Argument: Because Gentlemen dwell with us in the Country villages, our Cities are lesse, is nothing to the purpose: put three hundred or four hundred villages in a Shire, and every village yeeld a Gentleman, what is four hundred families to encrease one of our Cities, or to contend with theirs, which stand thicker? And whereas ours usually consists of seven thousand, theirs consists of forty thousand inhabitants.” Editor: Burton rejects Gainsford’s explanation that English gentlemen’s rural residence accounts for smaller cities. The comparative totals remain his claims.

952.Burtonp. 56, x: “Maxima pars victus in carne consistit. Polyd. Lib. 1. Hist.” Editor: “The greatest part of their food consists of meat.” Polydore Vergil, History, Book 1; the exact passage is not yet collated.

953.Burtonp. 56, y: “Refrænate monopolii licentiam, pauciores alantur otio, redintegretur agricolatio, lanificium instauretur, ut sit honestum negotium quo se exerceat otiosa illa turba. Nisi his malis medentur, frustra exercent justitiam. Mor. Utop. Lib. 1.” Editor: “Restrain the licence of monopoly; let fewer be maintained in idleness; restore farming and revive wool-working, so that the idle multitude may have an honest occupation. Unless they remedy these evils, they administer justice in vain.” An abridgement and adaptation of More’s Utopia, Book 1, in the discussion of theft and punishment.

955.Burtonp. 56, z: “Mancipiis locuples eget æris Cappadocum rex. Hor.” Editor: “The king of the Cappadocians, rich in slaves, lacks money.” Horace, Epistles 1.6.39. Wealth of one kind may coexist with poverty of another.

956.Burtonp. 57, *: “Regis dignitatis non est exercere imperium in mendicos sed in opulentos. Non est regni secus, sed carceris esse custos. Idem.” Editor: In sense: “Royal dignity consists in ruling prosperous people, not beggars. This is to be a prison’s keeper, not a kingdom’s.” The reference is again to More, Utopia, Book 1. The irregular printed “regni secus” is retained; the translation follows the contrast made in the located passage, which reads “hoc non est regni, sed carceris esse custodem.”

957.Burtonp. 57, a: “Colluvies hominum mirabiles excocti solo, immundi vestes fœdi visu, furti imprimis acres, &c.” Editor: Approximately, allowing for the irregular Latin: “A motley rabble of people, strange, sun-scorched, dirty in dress, foul to look at, particularly eager for theft, and so on.” “Solo” is printed where the sense suggests “sole,” by the sun. This hostile description is preserved as Burton’s marginal quotation; its precise source remains unlocated.

958.Burtonp. 57, b: “Cosmog. l. 3. cap. 5.” Editor: Münster’s Cosmographia, Book 3, chapter 5. The cited edition and passage remain to be checked.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Democritus Junior to the Reader

p. 88

Among our towns, London alone has the appearance of a city: “Britain in miniature,” a famous centre of commerce, second to none overseas, a noble marketplace. But “she alone grows while the others decline”; and even she, in my humble judgement, is deficient in many things.

The rest, with a few exceptions, are in a sorry condition, mostly dilapidated, poor, and full of beggars. Their trades have declined; their government is neglectful or bad; their inhabitants are idle and dissolute, preferring to beg or loiter, and verge on starvation, rather than work.

I cannot deny that something can be said in defence of our cities for being less finely built, less wealthy, less closely spaced, and less populous than those in some other countries. For in earlier times this kingdom’s architectural splendour was confined to its Norman castles and religious houses. Besides the reasons Cardan gives in On Subtlety, Book 11, we lack wine and oil, their two harvests; we live in a colder climate and must therefore eat somewhat more meat, as all northern countries do. Our food supply will consequently not support so many people.

Yet we have raw materials of every kind, an open sea for trade as others do, and fine harbours. How can we excuse our negligence, our excesses and drunkenness, and all the abuses that follow? We have passed excellent laws, you will say: strict statutes, houses of correction, and so forth. To little purpose, it seems. Houses will not be enough: we need cities of correction. Our trades as a whole should be reformed and their deficiencies supplied.

Other countries have the same grievances, I admit, but that does not excuse us: shortages, defects, abuses, idle drones, riots, discord, disputes, lawsuits. Many laws have been made to suppress those countless brawls and lawsuits, extravagance in dress and food, the decline of tillage, and depopulation; especially laws against rogues, beggars, and “Egyptian” vagabonds—so called, at least—who have swarmed throughout Germany, France, Italy, and Poland, as you may read in Münster, Krantz, and Aventinus, just as those Tartars and Arabs do today in the eastern countries.

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.