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Some Anatomies of Melancholy
Not simply an investigation into melancholy, these unique essays form part of a panoramic celebration of human behaviour from the time of the ancients to the Renaissance. God, devils, old age, diet, drunkenness, love and beauty are each given equal consideration in this all-encompassing examination of the human condition.
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.
Throughout history, some books have changed the world. They have transformed the way we see ourselves – and each other. They have inspired debate, dissent, war and revolution. They have enlightened, outraged, provoked and comforted. They have enriched lives – and destroyed them. Now Penguin brings you the works of the great thinkers, pioneers, radicals and visionaries whose ideas shook civilization and helped make us who we are.
142 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1621
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About the author
Robert Burton
27 books145 followersRobert Burton was an English scholar, born in 1577. Entered Brasenose College, Oxford, 1593. Student of Christ Church, 1599; B.D., 1614 and Vicar of St. Thomas's, Oxford, 1616, and rector of Seagrave from 1630 until his death in 1640. Best known for writing The Anatomy of Melancholy.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 8, 2023
One night, adrift on the border of Hesperus’ Kingdom, I saw a vision of three most dreadful creatures, three ‘Monsters of Future Melancholie’, that my dream told me might assail our proud descendents, Homo Futurum. This vision did sorely vex me.
The first of these monsters was a strange and small bird of a blue iridescence as if fashioned of the finest turquoise that could speak in short sentences. And I shall call this bird Avis Hyacintho Odio or the ‘Blue Bird of Hatred,’ as while most often it spoke of the vanities of diverse minstrels or ladies of the court it would admix these trifles with the words of some awful foreign Tyrant unknown in bucolic Seagrave. The words of this Tyrant were of such a low style that they were as the mumblings of some braggart or dotard and even though short they were of great frequency and would bring much division and melancholie upon the land.
My next vision was of a herald of melancholie that was like to some common pamphlet that was called the “Ledger of the Face”.
This Ledger was the King of Liars as it did amuse you with messages of lightness and fair fancies, but these were only gilded pills which were composed to tempt the appetite and deceive the palate as this devilish Ledger, once it had won your confidences, did then whisper in your ear a great vileness of evil tales and conspiracies. What was monstrous about this Ledger was that, by some dark magic, you did not doubt its lies as it seemed as if they were told you by your friends and fellow countrymen. These subtle lies were the cause of much argument and so melancholie among all the peoples of the realm.
The last monster to come from this dark fog of of future melancholie was one called in the latin “Insta Grammaticus”.
Insta Grammaticus was most pernicious as it did invite the young to compare the shabby vessels of their souls with the bodies of Gods and Goddesses that lived in paradisiacal realms, blessed by the rays of Solis, called Mala Gar and I Bee Zar. These Gods and Goddesses, always happy and smiling and with torsos sculpted from greek marble, did eat of rich ambrosia in these far lands and enjoy useless frivolities of a type that sadly are most tempting to many.
Thus did Insta Grammaticus make our future young think poorly of their fine English viands and create in them an impossible yearning for the sunny lands of Mala Gar and I Bee Zar instead of living contentedly in the green pastures of Leicestershire. In consequence the young Homo Futurum would fall into the most dreadful melancholie which, in turn, saddened me greatly even in my dream as they seemed of fine character and honest mein.
Avis Hyacintho Odio, The Ledger of the Face, Insta Grammaticus: these three Monsters of Future Melancholie sorely troubled me and I could not sleep but tossed and turned most distraught until at last a new vision came upon me and brought my troubled mind to rest, even though I could not comprehend it.
It was a vision of an angel carrying a large, square embossed plaque made as if of ebony on which were inscribed letters in white: “D E L E T E”.
Although I did not understand this message I knew from the kindly smile of the angel that it would save Homo Futurum from these three Monsters and bring him great peace of mind.
Thus I leave these words as an appendix to my work ‘Anatomies of Melancholy’ in the hope that Homo Futurum may one day read them and understand this angel’s message even if I do not.
On this day of our Lord the Twenty Sixth of August 1638
Robert Burton
Seagrave, Leicestershire
The first of these monsters was a strange and small bird of a blue iridescence as if fashioned of the finest turquoise that could speak in short sentences. And I shall call this bird Avis Hyacintho Odio or the ‘Blue Bird of Hatred,’ as while most often it spoke of the vanities of diverse minstrels or ladies of the court it would admix these trifles with the words of some awful foreign Tyrant unknown in bucolic Seagrave. The words of this Tyrant were of such a low style that they were as the mumblings of some braggart or dotard and even though short they were of great frequency and would bring much division and melancholie upon the land.
My next vision was of a herald of melancholie that was like to some common pamphlet that was called the “Ledger of the Face”.
This Ledger was the King of Liars as it did amuse you with messages of lightness and fair fancies, but these were only gilded pills which were composed to tempt the appetite and deceive the palate as this devilish Ledger, once it had won your confidences, did then whisper in your ear a great vileness of evil tales and conspiracies. What was monstrous about this Ledger was that, by some dark magic, you did not doubt its lies as it seemed as if they were told you by your friends and fellow countrymen. These subtle lies were the cause of much argument and so melancholie among all the peoples of the realm.
The last monster to come from this dark fog of of future melancholie was one called in the latin “Insta Grammaticus”.
Insta Grammaticus was most pernicious as it did invite the young to compare the shabby vessels of their souls with the bodies of Gods and Goddesses that lived in paradisiacal realms, blessed by the rays of Solis, called Mala Gar and I Bee Zar. These Gods and Goddesses, always happy and smiling and with torsos sculpted from greek marble, did eat of rich ambrosia in these far lands and enjoy useless frivolities of a type that sadly are most tempting to many.
Thus did Insta Grammaticus make our future young think poorly of their fine English viands and create in them an impossible yearning for the sunny lands of Mala Gar and I Bee Zar instead of living contentedly in the green pastures of Leicestershire. In consequence the young Homo Futurum would fall into the most dreadful melancholie which, in turn, saddened me greatly even in my dream as they seemed of fine character and honest mein.
Avis Hyacintho Odio, The Ledger of the Face, Insta Grammaticus: these three Monsters of Future Melancholie sorely troubled me and I could not sleep but tossed and turned most distraught until at last a new vision came upon me and brought my troubled mind to rest, even though I could not comprehend it.
It was a vision of an angel carrying a large, square embossed plaque made as if of ebony on which were inscribed letters in white: “D E L E T E”.
Although I did not understand this message I knew from the kindly smile of the angel that it would save Homo Futurum from these three Monsters and bring him great peace of mind.
Thus I leave these words as an appendix to my work ‘Anatomies of Melancholy’ in the hope that Homo Futurum may one day read them and understand this angel’s message even if I do not.
On this day of our Lord the Twenty Sixth of August 1638
Robert Burton
Seagrave, Leicestershire
December 11, 2023
Soso, decepcionante, aburrido, artificial, repetitivo
Como revisión historiográfica y doxografica, decente. Escaso valor filosófico y literariamente pesado. Sentido del humor nulo.
Ojalá ver lo que Beckett, Borges o Keats vieron en él.
Como revisión historiográfica y doxografica, decente. Escaso valor filosófico y literariamente pesado. Sentido del humor nulo.
Ojalá ver lo que Beckett, Borges o Keats vieron en él.
February 8, 2017
There are no simple words to explain the parts of this super huge book that I read, but it's worthy, and now I'm going to download the complete 1400 pages and I will happily jump from one part to another as I used to do with the DSM-IVTR. No reason to buy the 5th as far as I'm concerned, as I have Burton now :)
Non ci sono parole semplici per spiegare gli estratti che ho letto dal gigantesco libro di Burton, ma ne valgono la pena, quindi ora mi "scenderó" il trattato completo saltando da una parte all'altra come facevo quando avevo tra le mani il DSM-IVTR. Lo so che é uscito il quinto, ma non ho ragione di commprarlo ora che ho il Burton ;)
Non ci sono parole semplici per spiegare gli estratti che ho letto dal gigantesco libro di Burton, ma ne valgono la pena, quindi ora mi "scenderó" il trattato completo saltando da una parte all'altra come facevo quando avevo tra le mani il DSM-IVTR. Lo so che é uscito il quinto, ma non ho ragione di commprarlo ora che ho il Burton ;)
August 15, 2022
ah yes platonis lysigrigis platiniousos detailed in his tract of antiquity of the windy melancholia which is a distemperature of the bowels and please for the love of god! dæmons want u to eat the spoiled black meat of an old hare!!! DONT LISTEN TO THEM!!!!!!!!!
i’d be lying if i said i didn’t enjoy this
i’d be lying if i said i didn’t enjoy this
June 4, 2015
I struggled with this but persevered to the end and I am glad that I did. In the last section he accurately describes the effect that a beautiful woman can have on a man. You'll have to read it yourself to find out!
July 24, 2021
A pared down version of the encyclopedic original. The editors focus on the love-lorn sections. They chose not to include the excellent sections on how to be happy without material goods, which left me wondering whether they bothered to read the whole thing.
November 14, 2017
I liked the second part of this book more than the first.
January 23, 2011
MELANCHOLY
General causes of melancholy are either supernatural or natural.
Supernatural causes are from God and His angels, or by God’s permission from the devil and his ministers. In this case, una eademque manus vulnus opemque feret.
Among natural causes, old age, being of the same quality as melancholy is, must needs cause it, by diminution of spirits and substance. We have many weak persons, both in body and mind; our fathers bad, and we are like to be worse.
Love melancholy is both supernatural and natural.
LOVE AND BEAUTY
Love is a voluntary affection, and desire to enjoy that which is good. Desire wishes, love enjoys. That which we love is present; that which we desire is absent.
No man loves but he that was first delighted with comeliness and beauty.
Only fair persons we love at first sight, and adore them as gods: we had rather serve them than command others. Though they be otherwise vicious, unhonest, we love them, we favor them, and are ready to do them any good office for their beauty’s sake, though they have no other quality beside.
Beauty is sharper than any other dart or needle, wounds deeper into the heart; and opens a gap through our ears to that lovely wound, which pierces the soul itself.
There is nothing so majestical and sacred, nothing so divine, lovely, precious; it’s nature’s crown, gold and glory.
General causes of melancholy are either supernatural or natural.
Supernatural causes are from God and His angels, or by God’s permission from the devil and his ministers. In this case, una eademque manus vulnus opemque feret.
Among natural causes, old age, being of the same quality as melancholy is, must needs cause it, by diminution of spirits and substance. We have many weak persons, both in body and mind; our fathers bad, and we are like to be worse.
Love melancholy is both supernatural and natural.
LOVE AND BEAUTY
Love is a voluntary affection, and desire to enjoy that which is good. Desire wishes, love enjoys. That which we love is present; that which we desire is absent.
No man loves but he that was first delighted with comeliness and beauty.
Only fair persons we love at first sight, and adore them as gods: we had rather serve them than command others. Though they be otherwise vicious, unhonest, we love them, we favor them, and are ready to do them any good office for their beauty’s sake, though they have no other quality beside.
Beauty is sharper than any other dart or needle, wounds deeper into the heart; and opens a gap through our ears to that lovely wound, which pierces the soul itself.
There is nothing so majestical and sacred, nothing so divine, lovely, precious; it’s nature’s crown, gold and glory.
February 4, 2012
I found it very hard to understand the language, if I even understood it at all. Melancholy in those days is possibly what we call depression today.
February 8, 2012
I found parts of this difficult to relate to, although it was interesting to see how human nature was viewed in the 16th and 17th centuries.
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May 11, 2016Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews