Volume 3

The anatomy of melancholy / edited by Rev. A.R. Shilleto.

  • Burton, Robert, 1941-
Date:
Reprint 1896 (3 vol set)
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The anatomy of melancholy / edited by Rev. A.R. Shilleto. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by UCL Library Services. The original may be consulted at UCL (University College London)

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    1 Erubuit, posuitque meum Lucretia librum, Sed coram Bruto ; Brute recede, leget. But let these cavillers and counterfeit Catos2 know, that, as the Lord John answered the Queen in that Italian zGuazzo, an old, a grave, discreet man, is fittest to discourse of Love matters, because he hath likely more experience, observed more, hath a more staid judgement, can better discern, resolve, discuss, advise, give better cautions, and more solid precepts, better inform his auditors in such a subject, and by reason of his riper years sooner divert. Besides, nihil in hdc amoris voce subtimendum, there is nothing here to be excepted at; Love is a species of melancholy, and a necessary part of this my Treatise, which I may not omit; operi suscepto inserviendum fuit; so Jacobus Micylitis pleadeth for him- self in his translation of Luciarts Dialogues, and so do I \ I must and will perform my task. And that short excuse of Mercerus for his edition of Aristcenetus shall be mine, 4IfI have spent my time ill to write, let not them be so idle as to read. But I am persuaded it is not so ill spent. I ought not to excuse or repent myself of this subject, on which many grave and worthy men have written whole volumes, Plato, Plutarch, Plotinus, Maximus Tyrius% Alcinous, Avicenna, Leon Hebrceus in three large Dialogues, Xenophon, sympos. Theophrasius, if we may believe Athenceus, lib. 13. cap. 9, Picas Mirandula, Marius sEquicoia, both in Italian, KornntannuSy de linea Amoris, lib. 3, Petrus Godefridus hath handled in three books, P. Hcedus, and which almost every Physician, as Arnoldus, Villanovantes, Valleriola, observat. med. lib. 2. observ. 7, ^Elian Montaltus, and Laurentius, in their Treatises of Melancholy, Jason Pratensis, de morb. cap. Valescus de Taranta^ Gordonius, Hercules de Saxonid, Savanarola, Langius, &>c. have treated of apart, and in their works. I excuse myself therefore with Peter Godefridus, Valleriola, Ficinus, and in 5Langius'* words : Cadmus Milesius writ fourteen books of Love, and why should I be ashamed to write an Epistle in favour of young men^ of this subject ? A company of stern Readers dislike the second of the JEneids, and VirgiPs gravity, for inserting such amorous passions in an heroical ] Martial, [xi. 16. 9, 10. In Brutus' presence Lucretia blushed and laid my book aside ; if you retire, Brutus, she will take it up again and read it.] [2 Proverbial for severe moralists. See Juv. ii. 40 ; Mart. x. 19. 21; xi. 15. 1. 3 Lib. 4. of civil conversation. 4 Si male locata est opera scribendo, ne ipsi locent in legendo. 5 Med. epist. 1. 1. ep. 14. Cadmus Milesius, teste Suida, de hoc Erotico Amore 14 libros scripsit, nec me pigebit in gratiam adolescentum hanc scribere epistolam.