BURTON'S "ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY."

In this age of "new editions," it is a wonder that no one has favoured the public with a reprint, with notes variorum, of this celebrated English classic.

Dr. Dibdin, in a note to his edition of More's Utopia, vol. ii. p. 97., says:

"Whoever will be at the trouble of consulting Part II, sect. IV. memb.. i. subsect. 4. of the last folio edition of Burton [1676], will see how it varies from the first folio of 1624; and will, in consequence, regret the omission of the notice of these variations in the octavo editions of Burton recently published."

The octavo editions here referred to are those of 1800 and 1806; the latter, I believe, edited by Edward Du Bois. The folio of 1676 is, in all probability, an exact reprint of that of 1651, which certainly differs considerably from those of an earlier date. Henry Cripps, the publisher of the edition of 1651, has the following notice:

"To the Reader.

Be pleased to know (courteous Reader) that since the last impression of this Book, the ingenuous author of it is deceased, leaving a copy of it exactly corrected, with several considerable additions by his own hand. This copy he committed to my care and custody, with directions to have those additions inserted in the next edition; which, in order to his command and the publicke good, is faithfully performed in this last impression.

H. C."

Modern writers have been deeply indebted to old Robert Burton; but he, in his turn, was equally indebted to earlier writers. Dr. Dibdin remarks:

"I suspect that Burton, the author of the Anatomy of Melancholy, was intimately acquainted with Boiastuan's book as translated by Alday; for there are passages in Burton's 'Love Melancholy' (the most extraordinary and amusing part of his work), which bear a very strong resemblance to many in the 'Gests and Countenances ridiculous of Lovers,' at p. 195 of Boiastuan's Theatre, or Rule of the World."

The title of the curious book mentioned in this extract is—

"Theatrum Mundi. Theatre, or Rule of the World: Wherein may bee seene the running Race and Course of everie Mannes Lyfe, as touching Miserie and Felicitie: whereunto is added a learned Worke of the excellencie of Man. Written in French by Peter Boiastuan. Translated by John Alday. Printed by Thomas East, for John Wright, 8vo. 1582."

But Burton was more indebted to another work, very similar in title and matter to his own; I mean Dr. Bright's curious little volume, of which I transcribe the title-page in full:

"A Treatise of Melancholy: contayning the Causes thereof, and reasons of the strange Effects it worketh in our Minds and Bodies; with the Phisicke Cure, and Spirituall Consolation for such as have thereto adjoyned afflicted Conscience. The difference betwixt it and Melancholy, with diverse philosophical Discourses touching Actions, and Affections of Soule, Spirit, and Body: the Particulars whereof are to be seene before the Booke. By T. Bright, Doctor of Phisicke. Imprinted at London by John Windet, sm. 8vo. 1586."

It has been remarked that Burton does not acknowledge his obligations to Bright. This, however, is not strictly true, as the former acknowledges several quotations in the course of his work. It would certainly be desirable, in the event of a new edition of the Anatomy, that a comparison of the two books should be made. As a beginning towards this end, I subjoin a table of the contents of Bright's Treatise, with a notice of some similar passages in Burton's Anatomy, arranged in parallel columns.

I may just add, that Bright's Treatise consists of 276 pages, exclusive of a dedication "To the Right Worshipful M. Peter Osborne," &c. (dated from "Little S. Bartlemews by Smithfield, the 13 of May, 1586"); and an address "To his Melancholick Friend M."

All that is known of his biography has been collected by the Rev. Joseph Hunter, and communicated to the last edition of Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses, vol. ii. p. 174. note.

Bright's "Treatise of Melancholy," 1586.

Burton's "Anatomy of Melancholy," edit. 1651.

The Contentes of the Booke according to the Chapters.

Parallel Sections.

1. How diversely the word Melancholy is taken.

Definition of Melancholy: name, difference.

2. The causes of natural melancholy, and of the excesse thereof.

The causes of melancholy.

3. Whether good nourishment breede melancholy, by fault of the body turning it into melancholy: and whether such humour is found in nourishments, or rather is made of them.

Customs of dyet, delight, appetite, accessity: how they cause or hinder.

4. The aunswere to objections made against the breeding of melancholicke humour out of nourishment.

Dyet rectified in substance.

5. A more particular and farther answere to the former objections.

6. The causes of the increase and excesse of melancholicke humour.

Immediate cause of these precedent symptomes.

7. Of the melancholicke excrement.

Of the matter of melancholy.

8. What burnt choller is, and the causes thereof.

9. How melancholie worketh fearful passions in the mind.

Symptomes or signes in the mind.

10. How the body affecteth the soule.

Of the soul and her faculties.

11. Objections againste the manner how the body affecteth the soule, with answere thereunto.

12. A farther answere to the former objections, and of the simple facultie of the soule, and onely organicall of spirit and body.

13. How the soule, by one simple facultie, performeth so many and diverse actions.

14. The particular answeres to the objections made in the 11th chapter.

15. Whether perturbations rise of humour or not, with a division of the perturbations.

Division of perturbations.

16. Whether perturbations which are not moved by outward occasions rise of humour or not: and how?

17. How melancholie procureth feare, sadnes, despaire, and such passions.

Sorrow, fear, envy, hatred, malice, anger, &c. causes.

18. Of the unnaturall melancholie rising by adjustion: how it affecteth us with diverse passions.

Symptomes of head-melancholy.

19. How sickness and yeares seeme to alter the mind, and the cause: and how the soule hath practise of senses separated from the body.

Continent, inward, antecedent, next causes, and how the body works on the mind.

20. The accidentes which befall melancholie persons.

An heap of other accidents causing melancholy.

21. How melancholie altereth the qualities of the body.

Distemperature of particular parts.

22. How melancholie altereth those actions which rise out of the braine.

23. How affections be altered.

24. The causes of teares, and their saltnes.

25. Why teares endure not all the time of the cause: and why in weeping commonly the finger is put in the eie.

26. Of the partes of weeping: why the countenance is cast down, the forehead lowreth, the nose droppeth, the lippe trembleth, &c.

27. The causes of sobbing and sighing: and how weeping easeth the heart.

28. How melancholie easeth both weeping and laughing, with the reasons why.

29. The causes of blushing and bashfulness, and why melancholie persons are given therunto.

Causes of these symptomes [i.e. bashfulness and blushing].

30. Of the naturall actions altered by melancholie.

31. How melancholie altereth the naturall workes of the body: juice and excrement.

Symptomes of melancholy abounding in the whole body.

32. Of the affliction of conscience for sinne.

Guilty conscience for offence committed.

33. Whether the afflicted conscience be of melancholie.

34. The particular difference betwixt melancholie and the afflicted conscience in the same person.

How melancholy and despair differ.

35. The affliction of mind: to what persons it befalleth, and by what means.

Passions and perturbations of the mind; how they cause melancholy.

36. A consolation to the afflicted conscience.

37. The cure of melancholie; and how melancholicke persons are to order themselves in actions of minde, sense, and motion.

Cure of melancholy over all the body.

38. How melancholicke persons are to order themselves in their affections.

Perturbations of the mind rectified.

39. How melancholicke persons are to order themselves in the rest of their diet, and what choice they are to make of ayre, meate, and drinke, house, and apparell.

Dyet rectified; ayre rectified, &c.

40. The cure by medicine meete for melancholicke persons.

Of physick which cureth with medicines.

41. The manner of strengthening melancholicke persons after purging: with correction of some of their accidents.

Correctors of accidents to procure sleep.

Edward F. Rimbault.