The Anatomy of Melancholy

Introduction to the Project Gutenberg Edition.

This edition of _The Anatomy of Melancholy_ is based on a
nineteenth-century edition that modernized Burton's spelling and
typographic conventions. In preparing this electronic version, it
became evident that the editor had made a variety of mistakes in this
modernization: some words were left in their original spelling (unusual
words were a particular problem), portions of book titles were mistaken
for proper names, proper names were mistaken for book titles or Latin
words, etc. A certain number of misprints were also introduced into the
Latin. As a result, I have re-edited the text, checking it against
images of the 1638 edition, and correcting all errors not present in
the earlier edition. I have continued to follow the general editorial
practice of the base text for quotation marks, italics, etc. Rare words
have been normalized according to their primary spelling in the Oxford
English Dictionary. When Burton spells a person's name in several ways,
I have normalized the names to the most common spelling, or to modern
practice if well-known. In a few cases, mistakes present in both the
1683 edition and the base text have been corrected. These are always
minor reference errors (e.g., an incorrect or missing section number in
the synopses, or misnumbered footnotes). Incorrect citations to other
texts (Burton seems to quote by memory and sometimes gets it wrong)
have not been changed if they are wrong in both editions. To display
some symbols (astrological signs, etc.) the HTML version requires a
browser with unicode support. Most recent browsers should be OK.—KTH

FRONTISPIECE TO THE ORIGINAL EDITION

[Illustration]

1. Democritus Abderites 2. Zelotypia 3. Solitudo 4. Inamorato 5.
Hypocondriacus 6. Superstitiosus 7. Maniacus 8. Borage 9. Hellebor 10.
Democritus Junior
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, numbers, and
subsections.
Philosophically, medicinally, Historically, opened and cut up.
By Democritus Junior
With a Satyrical Preface conducing to the following Discourse.
The Sixth Edition, corrected and augmented by the Author.
Omne tulit punctum, qui miscit utile dulce.
London
Printed & to be sold by Hen. Crips & Lodo Lloyd at their shop in
Popes-head Alley. 1652">




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, MEDICALLY,

HISTORICALLY OPENED AND CUT UP.

BY DEMOCRITUS JUNIOR.

WITH

A SATIRICAL PREFACE, CONDUCING TO THE FOLLOWING DISCOURSE.

A NEW EDITION,

CORRECTED, AND ENRICHED BY TRANSLATIONS OF THE NUMEROUS CLASSICAL
EXTRACTS.

BY DEMOCRITUS MINOR.

TO WHICH IS PREFIXED AN ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR.


Omne tulit punctum, qui miscuit utile dulci.

He that joins instruction with delight,
Profit with pleasure, carries all the votes.


HONORATISSIMO DOMINO

NON MINVS VIRTUTE SUA, QUAM GENERIS SPLENDORE,

ILLVSTRISSIMO,

GEORGIO BEKKLEIO,

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.


ADVERTISEMENT TO THE LAST LONDON EDITION.

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.