Robert Burton
Robert Burton
An Oxford University scholar, he is best known for his classic 1621 work, The Anatomy of Melancholy. He was also a mathematician and an amateur astrologer.
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionTeacher
Date of Birth8 February 1577
hearing melancholy men pleasing present remedy therefore
Many men are melancholy by hearing music, but it is a pleasing melancholy that it causeth; and therefore to such as are discontent, in woe, fear, sorrow, or dejected, it is a most present remedy
beyond body commonly diseases far goes overthrow remedy ruin sovereign violent
Tobacco, divine, rare, superexcellent tobacco, which goes far beyond all the panaceas, potable gold, and philosophers stones, a sovereign remedy to all diseases but as it is commonly abused by most men, which take it as tinkers do ale, 'Tis a plague, a mischief, a violent purger of goods, lands, health; hellish, devilish and damned tobacco, the ruin and overthrow of body and soul.
admit alone both envy hath pleasure sin wants
Every other sin hath some pleasure annexed to it, or will admit of an excuse: envy alone wants both
father son struck
Diogenes struck the father when the son swore
law none today tomorrow
That which is a law today is none tomorrow
hanging heaven marriage matches
Marriage and hanging go by destiny; matches are made in heaven
cannot costs good
Who cannot give good counsel? 'Tis cheap, it costs them nothing
hath
We can say nothing but what hath been said
avoid busy
I write of melancholy, by being busy to avoid melancholy.
candle illustrate
To enlarge and illustrate this - is to set a candle in the sun.
anxiety cares fear full heart life silence
Most part of a lover's life is full of agony, anxiety, fear and grief, complaints, sighs, suspicions, and cares (heigh-ho my heart is woe), full of silence and irksome solitariness
attending bad english-writer good hath life man particular
Every man hath a good and a bad angel attending on him in particular all his life long.
deeper english-writer strikes
A blow with a word strikes deeper than a blow with a sword.
english-writer marriage
One was never married, and that's his hell; another is, and that's his plague.