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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Facing Pages · Branch 97 of 1495

Democritus Junior to the Reader

Book Mode

1651 English

63–64–64

I will have certain ships sent out for new discoveries every year, & some discreet men appointed to travel into all neighbor kingdoms by land, which shall observe what artificial inventions, and good laws are in other Countries, customes, alterations, or ought else, concerning war or peace, which may tend to the common good. Ecclesiastical discipline, penes Episcopos, subordinate as the other.

No impropriations, no lay patrons of church livings, or one private man, but common societies, corporations, &c. and those Rectors of benefices to be chosen out of the Universities, examined and approved as the literati in China. No Parish to contain above a thousand Auditors.

If it were possible, I would have such priests as should imitate Christ, charitable lawyers should love their neighbors as themselvs, temperate and modest Physicians, Politicians should contemn the world, Philosophers should know themselves, Noblemen live honestly, Tradesmen leave lying and cosening, Magistrates corruption, &c. but this is unpossible, I must get such as I may.

I will therefore have of lawyers, judges, advocates, physicians, chirurgions, &c. a set number, and every man, if it be possible, to plead his own cause, to tell that tale to the judge, which he doth to his advocate, as at Fez in Africk, Bantam, Aleppo, Raguse, suam quisque causam dicere tenetur.

Those Advocate, Chirurgions and Physicians, which are allowed to be maintained out of the common treasure, no fees to be given or taken upon pain of losing their places; or if they do, very small fees, and when the cause is fully ended.

He that sues any man shall put in a pledge, which if it be proved he hath wrongfully sued his adversary, rashly or maliciously, he shall forfeit, and lose. Or else before any suit begin, the plaintiff shall have his complaint approved by a set delegacy to that purpose; if it be of moment he shall be suffered as before, to proceed, if otherwise they shall determine it. All causes shall be pleaded suppresso nomine, the parties names concealed, if some circumstances do not otherwise require.

Judges and other officers shall be aptly disposed in each Province, Villages, Cities, as common arbitrators to hear causes, and end all controversies, and those not single, but three at least on the bench at once, to determine or give sentence and those again to sit by turns or lots, and not to continue still in the same office.

1046.Burtonp. 63, l: “Plato 12. de legibus, 40. annos natos vult, ut si quid memorabile viderent apud exteros, hoc ipsum in rempub. recipiatur.” Editor: “Plato, Laws, book 12, requires them to be forty years old, so that if they see anything noteworthy abroad, it may be adopted in the commonwealth.” Compare Laws 951a–d on observers sent abroad: that passage specifies men over fifty. The forty-year threshold occurs in the preceding general restriction on travel; Burton appears to combine the provisions.

1048.Burtonp. 64, m: “Simlerus in Helvetia.” Editor: Simler on Switzerland. Exact passage uncollated.

1049.Burtonp. 64, n: “Utopienses causidicos excludunt, qui causas callide & vafre tractent & disputent. Iniquissimum censent hominem ullis obligari legibus, quæ aut numerosiores sunt, quàm ut perlegi queant, aut obscuriores quàm ut à quovis possint intelligi. Volunt ut suam quisq; causam agat, eamq; referat Judici quam narraturus fuerat patrono, sic minus erit ambagum, & veritas facilius elicitur. Mor. Utop. l. 2.” Editor: “The Utopians exclude lawyers who handle and argue cases craftily and cunningly. They consider it most unjust to bind anyone by laws too numerous to be read through, or too obscure for anyone to understand. They wish each person to plead his own case, telling the judge what he would have told his advocate; thus there will be fewer complications, and the truth is more easily brought out.” More, Utopia, book 2, in the discussion of laws. Burton condenses and rearranges More’s argument.

1050.Burtonp. 64, o: “Medici ex publico victum sumunt. Boter. l. 1. c. 5. de Ægyptiis.” Editor: “Physicians receive their maintenance from public funds.” Botero, book 1, chapter 5, on the Egyptians; exact passage uncollated.

1051.Burtonp. 64, p: “De his lege Patrit. l. 3 tit. 8 de reip. Instit.” Editor: “On these matters read Patrizi, On the Institution of a Republic, book 3, title 8.” Exact passage uncollated.

1052.Burtonp. 64, q: “Nihil à clientibus patroni accipiant, priusquam lis finita est. Barcl. Argen. lib. 3.” Editor: “Advocates should accept nothing from their clients before the suit is finished.” Barclay, Argenis, book 3; exact passage uncollated.

1053.Burtonp. 64, r: “It is so in most free cities in Germany.” Editor: The anchor precedes the required deposit by a plaintiff; it is retained there.

The Anatomy of Melancholy: Democritus Junior to the Reader

p. 97

I will send out a number of ships every year to make new discoveries, and appoint judicious men to travel overland through all neighbouring kingdoms. They shall observe useful inventions, good laws, customs, changes, and anything else in other countries, in war or peace, that may serve the common good. Church discipline shall be in the hands of bishops, with a hierarchy like that of the other officials.

There shall be no church revenues appropriated to lay ownership, and no lay patrons or individual private patrons of church livings: patronage shall belong to collective societies, corporations, and the like. Rectors appointed to benefices shall be chosen from the universities, examined and approved like the learned officials of China. No parish shall contain more than a thousand hearers.

If it were possible, I would have priests who imitate Christ; charitable lawyers who love their neighbours as themselves; temperate, modest physicians; statesmen who despise worldly things; philosophers who know themselves; noblemen who live honestly; tradesmen who give up lying and cheating; and magistrates who abandon corruption. But this is impossible. I must take such people as I can get.

I will therefore allow a fixed number of lawyers, judges, advocates, physicians, surgeons, and so on. Wherever possible, everyone shall plead his own case, telling the judge the story he now tells his advocate, as at Fez in Africa, Bantam, Aleppo, and Ragusa: each person is required to plead his own case.

The advocates, surgeons, and physicians who are authorised to practise shall be maintained from the public treasury. No fees shall be given or accepted, on pain of dismissal; or, if fees are permitted, they shall be very small and payable only when the case is completely finished.

Anyone who brings a lawsuit shall lodge a deposit, which he shall forfeit if it is proved that he has sued his opponent wrongfully, rashly, or maliciously. Alternatively, before proceedings begin, the plaintiff shall have his complaint approved by a commission appointed for that purpose. If it is substantial, he shall be allowed to proceed as described; otherwise the commissioners shall settle it. All cases shall be pleaded with names suppressed—the parties’ names concealed—unless particular circumstances require otherwise.

Judges and other officers shall be suitably distributed throughout each province, its villages and cities, serving as public arbitrators to hear cases and settle every dispute. They shall not sit alone: at least three shall sit on the bench together to decide a case or pass sentence. They shall serve in rotation or by lot, and shall not remain permanently in the same office.

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.