Digression and impertinent

Use in the book

The anatomy is a purposeful detour. Burton holds it “not impertinent” because ordinary readers will encounter difficult names for bodily parts, humours and mental faculties. Its aim is understanding what those things are, where they are and what they do. The same standard permits exclusion: reproductive organs are omitted as “impertinent to my purpose.” Anatomy, digression of anatomy and anatomy of the soul, already explains the introductory survey and its later recall. Relevance is local to a purpose, not an absolute judgment that an omitted subject is worthless.

The defence of imagination joins usefulness with pleasure. Its supposed power to produce melancholy makes an account of its force relevant; Burton then answers those who call such excursions frivolous and impertinent by adopting Beroaldus’s comparison with sauce for a bad stomach. A weary reader can be delighted and refreshed. The English body, the original Latin margin and its supplied translation are not identical versions of the image: the margin has a queasy stomach restored as if by seasoning, while the modern body renders bad stomack as poor appetite. At the close Burton again justifies how far he has digressed by imagination’s role as the medium through which passions work.

Burton also controls the inquiry by deciding when to leave something aside. The Democritus-and-Hippocrates story is admitted as “not impertinent,” though the supplied note identifies its pseudonymous correspondence and qualifies the promise of near-verbatim narration. Later he proposes to omit irrelevant digressions when turning from metaphorical madness to settled melancholy. The consolatory section complicates the boundary again: he will digress, “if at least it be to digress in this subject,” since good counsel itself belongs to the treatment he has just described. “But I digresse” subsequently closes a reflection on animal knowledge and returns to the classification of compound medicines.

Outside writing, impertinent can judge attention or action. Chess is proposed for certain people whose thoughts wander into irrelevant matters, but the next paragraph says it may harm those already exhausted by study. Aretino’s Lucretia describes admirers seizing irrelevant occasions to speak loudly so that she will notice them: the pretext is irrelevant, the attention-seeking purposeful. A hunting anecdote calls extravagant sport “impertinent business,” pointless occupation, because its cost dwarfs its return and necessary work is neglected. These are distinct local judgments, not a general equation of recreation with uselessness.

The jealousy account distinguishes necessary absence from “impertinent journeyes.” Either partner may be away for professional reasons; unnecessary travel is a separate branch of the argument. The later catalogue directed at wives likewise means pointless journeys, not journeys that themselves speak rudely. Its suspicions remain allegations, not proof of infidelity. In the religious discussion, impertinent ceremonies are alleged to divert attention from proper worship, while Burton expressly denies that love of God itself can be excessive. Here too the writer’s purpose and polemical judgment supply the standard.

The Table makes the literary practice navigable: it groups the digressions on discontent, air, anatomy, and spirits under their source pages 307, 240, 13 and 39. Those are destinations in the book; the Table itself is unnumbered. Related Latin forms need separate reading. The Beroaldus-associated margin calls literary excursions egressiones and says excurro, “I digress.” But digressus in the consolation means parting, opposed to reunion; an identically spelled participle of digredior in the next section means having departed into eternity. Neither of those last two uses is an interruption of an argument.

Related entries

Equivocation: changing a word’s scope as the inquiry narrows.

Confer and conference: conversation and comparison as different uses of discourse.

Anatomy, digression of anatomy and anatomy of the soul: the named preparatory survey.

Imagination: the faculty whose causal force justifies the central digression.

Distraction, distraction / distract · distract · local use 4: mental diversion, including the qualified chess example.

Comfort and consolation, Comfort and consolation · comfortable speeches · local use 2: consolatory speech as treatment in the historical account.

Generation and corruption: reproductive organs omitted as irrelevant to the immediate anatomical purpose.

Places to read

1. Democritus Junior to the Reader · paragraphs 9–10relevance and the pseudonymous Hippocratic story.
2. Democritus Junior to the Reader · paragraphs 15–17the turn from satirical folly to settled disease.
3. Section 1. Member 2. Subsection 1. A Digression on Anatomy · paragraphs 20–24the anatomy’s pedagogical purpose.
4. Subsection 4. Composite Parts · paragraphs 11–12reproductive organs omitted.
5. Subsection 2 A Digression on the Nature of Spirits Evil Angels or Devils and How They Cause Melancholy · paragraphs 20–21the spirit digression’s explanatory purpose.
6. Member 3 Subsection 1 Passions and Disturbances of the Mind and How They Cause Melancholy · paragraph 6; Subsection 2. The Power of Imagination · paragraphs 7–8; notes 2758–2759the defence of imagination’s digression, especially the accompanying note.
7. Subsection 2. The Power of Imagination · paragraphs 33–34its closing causal justification.
8. Subsection 13. Love of Gambling and the Like, and Excessive Pleasures, as Causes · paragraphs 31–34pointless occupation and the hunting satire.
9. Member 4 Exercise of Body and Mind Regulated · paragraphs 7–9irrelevant thoughts and the limits of chess.
10. Section 3 Member 1. Subsection 1 A Digression on Consolation, Containing Remedies for Every Kind of Discontent · paragraphs 37–39consolation and the questioned name of digression.
11. Member 5 Against Sorrow Over the Death of Friends or Other Causes, Groundless Fear, and So On · paragraphs 53–54, 1parting and the hoped-for reunion.
12. Member 5 Against Sorrow Over the Death of Friends or Other Causes, Groundless Fear, and So On · paragraphs 15–17; note 7105departing into eternity in the accompanying note.
13. Subsection 5 Compound Alteratives Criticism of Compounds and Mixed Medicines · paragraphs 18–20a return to compound medicines.
14. Member 4 Subsection 1 Symptoms or Signs of Love Melancholy in Body and Mind Good and Bad Signs and So Forth · paragraphs 25–27Lucretia’s literary speech and manufactured occasions.
15. Causes of Jealousy. Who Are Most Susceptible. Idleness, Melancholy, Impotence, Prolonged Absence, Beauty, Sexual Licence, Being Unfaithful Themselves. Temptations Arising From Time, Place and People; Mistreatment as a Cause · paragraphs 39–41necessary and unnecessary absence.
16. Causes of Jealousy. Who Are Most Susceptible. Idleness, Melancholy, Impotence, Prolonged Absence, Beauty, Sexual Licence, Being Unfaithful Themselves. Temptations Arising From Time, Place and People; Mistreatment as a Cause · paragraphs 46–48the gendered suspicion catalogue.
17. Its Object, God; What His Beauty Is; How It Attracts. The Parts and People Affected · paragraphs 16–18irrelevant ceremonies contrasted with love of God.
18. D · paragraph 154the four collected digression routes.

In this edition

“Frivolous and impertinent” becomes “frivolous and irrelevant”. Irrelevant states the objection, which Burton answers through both the subject’s causal importance and the reader’s restorative pleasure. “Not impertinent” instead becomes relevant in the Hippocratic-story introduction and appropriate before the anatomy. Those positive renderings belong to the whole negative construction; they are not meanings of impertinent without not.

“Impertinent business” becomes “pointless occupation”; “impertinent journeyes” becomes “unnecessary journeys,” and the later “impertinent journeys” becomes “pointless journeys”. The Latin margin’s egressiones gives digressions and excurro gives digress; hujusmodi, ego and libenter separately supply of this kind, I and gladly. In the consolation, the noun digressus gives parting, while the participle digressus gives departing in the supplied translation of a different marginal quotation. The different grammar prevents identical spelling from becoming a single record of literary digression.

digression

A departure from the immediate course of a discussion to explain, exemplify, console or refresh; it can serve the larger purpose rather than be irrelevant.

Grammar: Count noun, singular Digression/digression and plural Digressions/digressions; often a heading or name of a section.

Access scope (Consolatory): Consolatory supplies on consolation, identifying the digression’s subject or purpose; Digression remains digression. Consolation is not the meaning of digression itself.

Access scope (on consolation): Consolatory supplies on consolation, identifying the digression’s subject or purpose; Digression remains digression. Consolation is not the meaning of digression itself.

Original text: “Digression of Anatomy.” In the modern column: “A digression on anatomy.” A named preparatory survey explains bodily parts and mental faculties. The source’s section/member numbering is erroneous and corrected only in the modern heading; the lexical phrase remains intact. Digression is retained; of becomes on, while the modern adds A.

Original text: “A Digression of the nature of Spirits”. In the modern column: “A digression on the nature of spirits”. The spirit survey is a detour intended to clarify whether spirits cause disease. The next unit formulates a question; the heading alone does not settle every subsequent supernatural claim. Digression is retained; of becomes on.

Original text: “Such Digressions do mightily delight and refresh a weary Reader”. In the modern column: “such digressions greatly delight and refresh a weary reader”. Burton adopts Beroaldus’s defence of digressions as readerly refreshment. Some readers dislike them; Burton explicitly chooses the contrary position. The original margin and supplied translation differ from his English stomach image. Digressions remains digressions; delight and refresh are separate actions, not part of the noun’s bare definition.

Original text: “my Digression of the Anatomy of the soul”. In the modern column: “my Digression on the Anatomy of the Soul”. Burton recalls the previous definition before discussing imagination’s effects. What it is is distinguished from what it does; some parties restricts the reported bodily effects. Digression is retained; the full title identifies the earlier survey, not a second definition of digression.

Original text: “A Consolatory Digression containing the Remedies of all manner of discontents.” In the modern column: “A digression on consolation, containing remedies for every kind of discontent”. The heading names a consolatory anthology justified by the earlier discussion of counsel. The next unit questions whether consolation is really a departure from the subject at all. Consolatory becomes on consolation; Digression remains digression.

Original Table: “Digression against all manner of discontents, 307 digression of ayre, 240. of Anatomie, 13. of devils and spirits, 39”. In the modern column: “Digression against every kind of discontent, 307; digression on air, 240; on anatomy, 13; on devils and spirits, 39.” The Table gathers four digressions as routes through the book. The Table leaf is unnumbered; 307, 240, 13 and 39 point to source discussions, not to separate numbered Table pages. Digression remains digression; the last two topic phrases elliptically share it.

digress

To turn aside from the immediate subject or line of exposition, sometimes in order to fulfil its larger purpose.

Grammar: Intransitive verb: infinitive digress; first-person present digresse; past participle digressed with have.

Original text: “I have thus far digressed”. In the modern column: “I have digressed this far”. Burton closes the imagination excursion by explaining its causal relevance. The ensuing because gives a reason for the extent of the detour, not a retraction of its importance. The modern retains digressed and reorders thus far as this far. Complementary earlier route: Intention and remission. Intention and remission already explains the heightened/relaxed activity in this concluding paragraph.

Original text: “a little to digress, (if at least it be to digress in this subject)”. In the modern column: “to digress a little in this next section—if this can be called a digression from my subject”. The author doubts whether collecting consolatory counsel departs from his subject at all. If is a qualification of the name, not uncertainty about whether the next section exists. The first infinitive stays digress; the repeated infinitive is recast as the noun digression in the parenthetic question.

Original text: “But I digresse.” In the modern column: “Yet I digress.” The remark ends a reflection on animal self-treatment before the classification of compound medicines resumes. A self-correcting transition, not a claim that animals’ alleged cures have been independently verified. Digresse is modernized to digress; But becomes Yet.

impertinent: irrelevant

Not belonging or relevant to the matter or purpose in hand; in not impertinent the negation instead asserts relevance or appropriateness.

Grammar: Adjective impertinent, attributive or predicative; not impertinent is a negated adjectival construction, not a positive synonym of the adjective alone.

Access scope (extravagant): Wandering is an access gloss for extravagant; the supplied modern column uses the verb wander. This component describes the movement of thoughts, while impertinent supplies irrelevant.

Access scope (wandering): Wandering is an access gloss for extravagant; the supplied modern column uses the verb wander. This component describes the movement of thoughts, while impertinent supplies irrelevant.

Original text: “because it is not impertinent to this discourse”. In the modern column: “Since it is relevant to this discussion”. Burton justifies inserting the Democritus/Hippocrates story. The supplied note identifies pseudonymous Hippocratic correspondence, and verbatim almost is Burton’s qualified description of his retelling. Not impertinent as a whole becomes relevant; impertinent alone would mean irrelevant.

Original text: “to omit all impertinent digressions”. In the modern column: “To leave aside all irrelevant digressions”. The author narrows from satirical folly to melancholy as a settled disease. The continuation specifies the new philosophical and medical subject. Impertinent gives irrelevant; all applies to those departures, not every digression in the book. Complementary earlier route: Habit and disposition. Habit and disposition already explains the temporary-state versus settled-condition boundary in this passage.

Original text: “I hold it not impertinent to make a brief Digression”. In the modern column: “I think it appropriate to make a brief digression”. Anatomical explanation is justified because difficult words would otherwise obstruct ordinary readers. This is a positive pedagogical defence, not an apology for impolite content. Not impertinent becomes appropriate; neither the negation nor the favourable judgment belongs to impertinent alone.

Original text: “they are impertinent to my purpose”. In the modern column: “they are irrelevant to my purpose”. The reproductive organs are excluded from this anatomical account. They refers to the organs previously named; exclusion is local to the present inquiry. Impertinent gives irrelevant; to my purpose restricts the judgment.

Original text: “frivolous and impertinent”. In the modern column: “frivolous and irrelevant”. Burton reports the objection to literary excursions before answering it. Some is the objecting group, not Burton’s own final valuation. Impertinent supplies irrelevant; frivolous remains a separate adjective.

Original text: “extravagant impertinent thoughts”. In the modern column: “thoughts wander into irrelevant matters”. Rhazes is invoked for chess as a diversion for certain idle or care-troubled people. Some people, not all sufferers; the immediate next paragraph says chess may worsen melancholy caused by excessive study. Extravagant supplies the wandering action, impertinent irrelevant; thoughts is recast as subject and matters supplied as the object of wandering.

Original text: “some impertinent occasion to speak aloud”. In the modern column: “some irrelevant occasion to speak loudly”. Aretino’s Lucretia describes admirers manufacturing occasions to attract her notice. First-person literary speech, not Burton’s eyewitness report; the occasion is irrelevant on its face but purposeful as attention-seeking. Impertinent gives irrelevant; occasion remains occasion, and speaking loudly states its use.

Original text: “impertinent, needless, idle, and vain ceremonies”. In the modern column: “irrelevant, needless, idle and empty ceremonies”. The polemic calls ceremonial preoccupation a diversion from proper worship. Burton explicitly denies that love of God itself can be excessive. The criticism belongs to his confessional polemic, not a neutral description of the religions named. Impertinent gives irrelevant; the other adjectives retain their separate force. Complementary earlier route: Religious melancholy. Religious melancholy already records the denial that divine worship itself is excessive.

impertinent: pointless or needless

Without sufficient purpose or necessity; applied to occupations and journeys rather than only to a piece of discourse.

Grammar: Attributive adjective impertinent before business, journeyes or journeys.

Access scope (business): Business supplies occupation, the activity being pursued; impertinent supplies pointless. Occupation does not carry the negative judgment of the complete phrase.

Access scope (occupation): Business supplies occupation, the activity being pursued; impertinent supplies pointless. Occupation does not carry the negative judgment of the complete phrase.

Original text: “impertinent business”. In the modern column: “pointless occupation”. The hunter’s costly activity is mocked as disproportionate to its yield and neglectful of necessary affairs. The judgment is voiced through a Poggio anecdote; its coercive treatment setting is not clinical advice. Impertinent gives pointless; business gives occupation.

Original text: “frivolous, impertinent journeyes”. In the modern column: “frivolous, unnecessary journeys”. Absence without purpose is distinguished from professional necessity as a possible cause of jealousy. Either party includes either partner; necessary travel by professional workers is a separate branch, not labelled unnecessary. Impertinent gives unnecessary; frivolous remains separate; journeyes is modernized.

Original text: “impertinent journeys, unnecessary visitations”. In the modern column: “pointless journeys and unnecessary visits”. The polemical catalogue presents certain outings and visits as grounds for a husband’s suspicion. The passage’s gendered suspicion does not establish an affair or make every social visit proof of wrongdoing. Impertinent gives pointless; unnecessary belongs to visitations and remains unnecessary.

egressio

A going out or excursion; here a rhetorical digression that refreshes a tired reader.

Grammar: Latin noun; printed egressiones is nominative plural, subject of solent, with hujusmodi qualifying the kind.

Access scope (hujusmodi): In the original Latin margin, hujusmodi supplies of this kind in the supplied note translation. It specifies the kind of digressions; egressiones supplies digressions.

Access scope (of this kind): In the original Latin margin, hujusmodi supplies of this kind in the supplied note translation. It specifies the kind of digressions; egressiones supplies digressions.

Original margin: “hujusmodi egressiones”. Supplied note translation or expansion: “Digressions of this kind”. The original margin supplies the Latin defence associated in the body with Beroaldus. The Latin quotation is original marginal text; its English rendering is supplied editorial translation inside a Burton-labelled note, not another original English formulation. Egressiones gives Digressions; hujusmodi gives of this kind.

excurro

To go or run aside; here to digress in writing.

Grammar: Latin verb; printed excurro is first-person singular present active indicative, with ego explicit and libenter qualifying the action.

Access scope (ego): In the original Latin margin, ego supplies the explicit subject I in the supplied note translation; excurro supplies digress. The pronoun does not denote the act of digressing.

Access scope (I): In the original Latin margin, ego supplies the explicit subject I in the supplied note translation; excurro supplies digress. The pronoun does not denote the act of digressing.

Access scope (libenter): In the original Latin margin, libenter supplies gladly in the supplied note translation. The adverb states willingness; excurro supplies the action digress.

Access scope (gladly): In the original Latin margin, libenter supplies gladly in the supplied note translation. The adverb states willingness; excurro supplies the action digress.

Original margin: “ego libenter excurro”. Supplied note translation or expansion: “I gladly digress”. The margin ends its defence with the speaker’s willing literary excursion. This first-person clause is in the quoted margin; Burton’s own body separately says he willingly uses digressions. Excurro gives digress, ego I, libenter gladly.

digressus: departure

A departure or parting, here contrasted with a hoped-for reunion after death, not a literary detour.

Grammar: Latin fourth-declension noun digressus, nominative singular in the comparison with congressus, reunion; distinct from the identically spelled participle of digredior.

Access scope (congressus): In the full original-body sentence, congressus supplies reunion in the modern column, contrasted with digressus, parting. This contrasting noun lies outside the shortened quotation and is not a meaning of digressus.

Access scope (reunion): In the full original-body sentence, congressus supplies reunion in the modern column, contrasted with digressus, parting. This contrasting noun lies outside the shortened quotation and is not a meaning of digressus.

Original text: “quam insuavis & acerbus digressus”. In the modern column: “than our parting was painful and bitter”. The quoted sentence contrasts a painful parting with a more joyful reunion. The source is attributed to Cicero but not securely located; Burton’s Christian resurrection framing must not be taken as proof of Cicero’s belief. Digressus supplies parting; the modern supplies our and was from the comparison.

digredior

To depart or go away; here depart into eternity.

Grammar: Latin deponent verb; printed digressus is a perfect participle with active sense, nominative masculine singular agreeing with Apollonius.

Access scope (ante nos): In the original Latin margin, ante nos supplies before us in the supplied note translation, placing Apollonius’s departure before the survivors’. Digressus supplies departing.

Access scope (before us): In the original Latin margin, ante nos supplies before us in the supplied note translation, placing Apollonius’s departure before the survivors’. Digressus supplies departing.

Access scope (ad æternitatem): In the original Latin margin, ad æternitatem supplies into eternity in the supplied note translation, specifying the destination of departure. Digressus, not this prepositional phrase, supplies departing.

Access scope (into eternity): In the original Latin margin, ad æternitatem supplies into eternity in the supplied note translation, specifying the destination of departure. Digressus, not this prepositional phrase, supplies departing.

Original margin: “ante nos ad æternitatem digressus”. Supplied note translation or expansion: “departing before us into eternity”. The consolatory margin describes the son Apollonius as having departed before the survivors. This is the original Latin margin with a supplied translation. The comparison is reported from the Consolation to Apollonius transmitted among Plutarch’s works; its Latin intermediary remains unlocated. Digressus supplies departing; ante nos before us; ad æternitatem into eternity. The supplied present English participle does not change the Latin perfect form.