Volume 1

The anatomy of melancholy : what it is, with all the kinds, causes, symptomes, prgnostics, 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.

  • 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, symptomes, prgnostics, 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. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    Though there were many giants of old in physick and philoso- phy, yet I say with Didacus Stella, A dwarf standing on the shoidders oj a giant, may see farther than a giant himself; I may likely add, alter, and see I'arther than my predecessors: and it is no greater prejudice for me to indite alter others, than for /Elianus Montaltus, that famous physician, to write de morbis capitis alter Jason Pratensis, Heurnius, Hildesheim, &c. Many horses to run in a race, one logician, one rheto- rician, after another. Oppose then what thou wilt, AUatres licet usque nos et usque, Et gannitibus improbis lacessas; I solve it thus. And for those other faults of barbarism, Do- rick dialect, extemporanean style, tautologies, apish imita- tion, a rhapsody of rags gathered together from several dung- hills, excrements of authors, toyes and fopperies confusedly tumbled out, without art, invention, judgement, wit, learning, harsh, raw, rude, phantastical, absurd, insolent, indiscreet, ill- composed, indigested, vain, scurrile, idle, dull and dry; I con- fess all ('tis partly affected): thou canst not think worse of me than I do of my self. 'Tis not worth the reading, I yield it: I desire thee not to lose time in perusing so vain a subject; I should be peradventure loth my self to read him or thee so writing: 'tis not operce pretium. All I say, is this, that I have ^ precedents for it, which Isocrates calls perfugium iis qui peccant, others as absurd, vain, idle, illiterate, &c. NonniUli alii idem fecerunt, others have done as much, it may be more, and perhaps thou thy self: Novhnns et qui te, §'c, we have all our faults; scimus, et lianc veniam, S^c. ^ thou censurest me, so have I done others, and may do thee: Cacdimus, inque vicem, ^c. 'tis lea: talionis, quid pro quo. Go now censure, criticise, scoff and rail. a Nasutus sis usque licet, sis denique nasus, Non potes in nugas dicere plura meas. Ipse ego quam dixi, &c. Wer'st thou all scoffs and flouts, a very Momus, Than we our selves, thou canst not say worse of us. Thus, as when women scold, have 1 cryed whore first; and, in some mens censures, I am afraid I have overshot my self. Laudare se vani, vitupei'are stulti: as I do not arrogate, I will not derogate. Primus vestrum non sum, nec imus, I am none of the best, 1 am none of the meanest of you. As In Luc. 10. Tom. 2. Pygmaei gigantum huraeris impositi plus quam ipsi gi- gantcs viflcnt. Nec aranearum textns ideo melior, quia ex se fila gignuntur, nec noster idco vilior, quia ex alicnis libaraus, ut apes. Lipsius adversus dialugist. y Uno absurdo dato, mille sequiuitur. « Non dubito inultos lectores hie fore Btultos. Martial. 13. 2.