The Anatomy of Melancholy by Robert Burton V.1
Bibliographic and Editorial Note.
The text of this version is taken from a reprint of the sixth
(1652) edition, by Chatto and Windus, London, 1883.
Translations from the Latin -- Those in round brackets ( . . )
were footnotes in the original; those in square brackets
[ . . ] are the work of the Ex-Classics Project.
Footnotes in Latin (of which there were a great many) have
been omitted.
Accents have been removed from Latin, in accordance with
modern practice.
Greek has been transliterated according to the following
scheme:
alpha: a
beta: b
gamma: g
delta: d
espilon: e
zeta: z
eta: e
theta: th
iota: i
kappa: k
lambda: l
mu: m
nu: n
xi: x
omicron: o
pi: p
rho: r
sigma: s
tau: t
upsilon: y
phi: ph
chi: ch
psi: ps
omega: o
The glossary is by the Ex-Classics Project
Title Page
THE
ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY
WHAT IT IS
WITH ALL THE KINDS, CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, PROGNOSTICS, AND
SEVERAL CURES OF IT
IN THREE PARTITIONS; WITH THEIR SEVERAL SECTIONS, MEMBERS,
AND SUBSECTIONS, PHILOSOPHICALLY, MEDICINALLY, HISTORICALLY
OPENED AND CUT UP
BY DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR
[ROBERT BURTON]
WITH A SATIRICAL PREFACE, CONDUCING TO THE FOLLOWING
DISCOURSE
Dedication
HONORATISSIMO DOMINO,
NON MINVS VIRTUTE SUA, QUAM GENERIS SPLENDORE,
ILLVSTRISSIMO,
GEORGIO BERKLEIO,
MILITI DE BALNEO, BARONI DE BERKLEY, MOUBREY, SEGRAVE,
D. DE BRUSE,
DOMINO SUO MULTIS NOMINIBUS OBSERVANDO,
HANC SUAM
MELANCHOLIAe ANATOMEN,
JAM SEXTO REVISAM, D. D.
DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR.
[To the most honourable Lord, illustrious not less for his
virtue than for his splendid ancestry, George Berkely, Knight
of the Bath, Baron of Berkley, Moubrey, Seagrave, Lord of
Bruse, with respect for his many titles, is dedicated this
ANATOMY of MELANCHOLY, sixth edition. Democritus Junior]
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE work now restored to public notice has had an
extraordinary fate. At the time of its original publication
it obtained a great celebrity, which continued more than half
a century. During that period few books were more read, or
more deservedly applauded. It was the delight of the learned,
the solace of the indolent, and the refuge of the uninformed.
It passed through at least eight editions, by which the
bookseller, as Wood records, got an estate; and,
notwithstanding the objection sometimes opposed against it,
of a quaint style, and too great an accumulation of
authorities, the fascination of its wit, fancy, and sterling
sense, have borne down all censures, and extorted praise from
the first writers in the English language. The grave Johnson
has praised it in the warmest terms, and the ludicrous Sterne
has interwoven many parts of it into his own popular
performance. Milton did not disdain to build two of his
finest poems on it; and a host of inferior writers have
embellished their works with beauties not their own, culled
from a performance which they had not the justice even to
mention. Change of times, and the frivolity of fashion,
suspended, in some degree, that fame which had lasted near a
century; and the succeeding generation affected indifference
towards an author, who at length was only looked into by the
plunderers of literature, the poachers in obscure volumes.
The plagiarisms of Tristram Shandy, so successfully brought
to light by Dr. Ferriar, at length drew the attention of the
public towards a writer, who, though then little known,
might, without impeachment of modesty, lay claim to every
mark of respect; and inquiry proved, beyond a doubt, that the
calls of justice had been little attended to by others, as
well as the facetious Yorick. Wood observed, more than a
century ago, that several authors had unmercifully stolen
matter from BURTON without any acknowledgment. The time,
however, at length arrived, when the merits of the Anatomy of
Melancholy were to receive their due praise. The book was
again sought for and read, and again it became an applauded
performance. Its excellencies once more stood confessed, in
the increased price which every copy offered for sale
produced; and the increased demand pointed out the necessity
of a new edition. This is now presented to the public in a
manner not disgraceful to the memory of the author; and the
publisher relies with confidence, that so valuable a
repository of amusement and information, will continue to
hold the rank to which it has been restored, firmly supported
The text of this version is taken from a reprint of the sixth
(1652) edition, by Chatto and Windus, London, 1883.
Translations from the Latin -- Those in round brackets ( . . )
were footnotes in the original; those in square brackets
[ . . ] are the work of the Ex-Classics Project.
Footnotes in Latin (of which there were a great many) have
been omitted.
Accents have been removed from Latin, in accordance with
modern practice.
Greek has been transliterated according to the following
scheme:
alpha: a
beta: b
gamma: g
delta: d
espilon: e
zeta: z
eta: e
theta: th
iota: i
kappa: k
lambda: l
mu: m
nu: n
xi: x
omicron: o
pi: p
rho: r
sigma: s
tau: t
upsilon: y
phi: ph
chi: ch
psi: ps
omega: o
The glossary is by the Ex-Classics Project
Title Page
THE
ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY
WHAT IT IS
WITH ALL THE KINDS, CAUSES, SYMPTOMS, PROGNOSTICS, AND
SEVERAL CURES OF IT
IN THREE PARTITIONS; WITH THEIR SEVERAL SECTIONS, MEMBERS,
AND SUBSECTIONS, PHILOSOPHICALLY, MEDICINALLY, HISTORICALLY
OPENED AND CUT UP
BY DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR
[ROBERT BURTON]
WITH A SATIRICAL PREFACE, CONDUCING TO THE FOLLOWING
DISCOURSE
Dedication
HONORATISSIMO DOMINO,
NON MINVS VIRTUTE SUA, QUAM GENERIS SPLENDORE,
ILLVSTRISSIMO,
GEORGIO BERKLEIO,
MILITI DE BALNEO, BARONI DE BERKLEY, MOUBREY, SEGRAVE,
D. DE BRUSE,
DOMINO SUO MULTIS NOMINIBUS OBSERVANDO,
HANC SUAM
MELANCHOLIAe ANATOMEN,
JAM SEXTO REVISAM, D. D.
DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR.
[To the most honourable Lord, illustrious not less for his
virtue than for his splendid ancestry, George Berkely, Knight
of the Bath, Baron of Berkley, Moubrey, Seagrave, Lord of
Bruse, with respect for his many titles, is dedicated this
ANATOMY of MELANCHOLY, sixth edition. Democritus Junior]
ADVERTISEMENT.
THE work now restored to public notice has had an
extraordinary fate. At the time of its original publication
it obtained a great celebrity, which continued more than half
a century. During that period few books were more read, or
more deservedly applauded. It was the delight of the learned,
the solace of the indolent, and the refuge of the uninformed.
It passed through at least eight editions, by which the
bookseller, as Wood records, got an estate; and,
notwithstanding the objection sometimes opposed against it,
of a quaint style, and too great an accumulation of
authorities, the fascination of its wit, fancy, and sterling
sense, have borne down all censures, and extorted praise from
the first writers in the English language. The grave Johnson
has praised it in the warmest terms, and the ludicrous Sterne
has interwoven many parts of it into his own popular
performance. Milton did not disdain to build two of his
finest poems on it; and a host of inferior writers have
embellished their works with beauties not their own, culled
from a performance which they had not the justice even to
mention. Change of times, and the frivolity of fashion,
suspended, in some degree, that fame which had lasted near a
century; and the succeeding generation affected indifference
towards an author, who at length was only looked into by the
plunderers of literature, the poachers in obscure volumes.
The plagiarisms of Tristram Shandy, so successfully brought
to light by Dr. Ferriar, at length drew the attention of the
public towards a writer, who, though then little known,
might, without impeachment of modesty, lay claim to every
mark of respect; and inquiry proved, beyond a doubt, that the
calls of justice had been little attended to by others, as
well as the facetious Yorick. Wood observed, more than a
century ago, that several authors had unmercifully stolen
matter from BURTON without any acknowledgment. The time,
however, at length arrived, when the merits of the Anatomy of
Melancholy were to receive their due praise. The book was
again sought for and read, and again it became an applauded
performance. Its excellencies once more stood confessed, in
the increased price which every copy offered for sale
produced; and the increased demand pointed out the necessity
of a new edition. This is now presented to the public in a
manner not disgraceful to the memory of the author; and the
publisher relies with confidence, that so valuable a
repository of amusement and information, will continue to
hold the rank to which it has been restored, firmly supported
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