Volume 1

The anatomy of melancholy, what it is, with all the kinds, causes, symtomes, 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 [pseud.] With a satyricall preface, conducing to the following discourse.

  • Burton, Robert, 1577-1640.
Date:
1813
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The anatomy of melancholy, what it is, with all the kinds, causes, symtomes, 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 [pseud.] With a satyricall preface, conducing to the following discourse. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    delighted with it, Scal. exerc. 302. Elephants, Agrippa. addes, lb. 2. cap. 24. and in Lydia in the midst of a lake there be certain floating ilands, (if ye will beleeve it) that, after musick, will dance. But to leave all declamatory speeches in praise *of divine musick, I will confine my self to my proper subject : besides that excellent power it hath to expell many other diseases, it is a soveraigne remedy against >despair and melancholy, and will drive away the divel himself, Canus, a Rhodian fidler in ¢ Phi- lostratus, when Apollonius was inquisitive to know what he could do with his pipe, told him, that he would make a me- lancholy man merry, and him that was merry much merrier than before, a lover more inamoured, a religious man more de- vout. Ismenias the Theban, 4Chiron the Centaure, is said to have cured this and many other diseases by musick alone; as now they do those, saith ¢Bodine, that are troubled with S. Vitus Bedlam dance. fTimotheus the musician compelled Alexander to skip up and down, and leave his dinner (like the tale of the frier and the boy); whom Austin (de civ. Det. lib. 17. cap. 14.) so much commends for it. Who hath not heard how Davids harmony drove away the evill spirits from king Saul? (1 Sam. 16) and Elisha, when he was much troubled by importunate kings, called for a minstrel; and, when he played, the hand of the Lord came upon him (2 Kings 3). Cen- sorinus (de natalt cap. 12) reportes how Asclepiades the physi- cian helped many frantike persons by this means, phreneticorum mentes morbo turbatas.—Jason Pratensis (cap. de Manid) hath many examples, how Clinias and Empedocles cured some desperately melancholy, and some mad, by this our musick ; which because it hath such excellent vertues, belike, * Homer brings in Phemius playing, and the Muses singing at the ban- quet of the gods. Aristotle Polit. l. 8. c. 5, Plato 2, de legibus, highly approve it, and so do all politicians, The Greekes, Romanes, have graced musick, and made it one of the liberal] sciences, though it be now become mercenary. All civill com- monwealths allow it: Cneius Manlius (as *Livius relates) A ab urb. cond. 567, brought first out of Asia to Rome singing wenches, players, jesters, and all kinde of musick to their feasts. : 4 Numen inest numeris. - > Sape graves morbos modulatum carmen abegit, Et desperatis conciliavit opem. © Lib. 5. cap. 7. Moerentibus moerorem adimam, lzetantem vero seipso reddam hilariorem, amantem calidiorem, religiosum dicnowmaagne correptum, et ad Deos colendos paratiorem. _ 4 Natalis Comes, Me 2 cap, 12. ¢ Lib. 5. de rep. Curat musica furorem Sancti Viti. is nf ire e convivio. Cardan, subtil. lib, 13. g Iliad 1, h Libro 9. cap. 1. Psaltrias, sambucistriasque, et convivialia ludoram oblectamenta addita epulis, ex Asi& invexit in urbem.