THE WORLDS OF RENAISSANCE MELANCHOLY AngusGowlandinvestigates thetheoryofmelancholyanditsmany applications in the Renaissance by means of a wide-ranging contextual analysis of Robert Burton’s encyclopaedic Anatomy of Melancholy (first edition 1621). Approaching the Anatomy as the culmination of early modern medical, philosophical, and spiritual inquiry about melancholy, Gowland examines the ways in which Burton exploited the moral psychology central to the Renaissance understanding of the condition to construct a critical vision of his intellectualandpoliticalenvironment. Inthefirstsustainedanalysis of the evolving relationship of the Anatomy in the versions issued between 1621 and 1651 to late Renaissance humanist learning and early seventeenth-century England and Europe, it corrects the prevailingviewoftheworkasanunreflectivedigestofotherauthors’ opinions,andrevealstheAnatomy’scharacterasapolemicalliterary engagement with the live intellectual, religious, and political issues of its day. angus gowland is Lecturer in Intellectual History at University College London. ideas in context 78 The Worlds of Renaissance Melancholy IDEAS IN CONTEXT Edited by Quentin Skinner and James Tully The books in this series will discuss the emergence of intellectual traditions and of related new disciplines. The procedures, aims and vocabularies that were generated will be set in the context of the alternatives available within the contemporaryframeworks ofideasandinstitutions.Through detailedstudiesof theevolutionofsuchtraditions,andtheirmodificationbydifferentaudiences,it is hoped that a new picture will form of the development of ideas in their concrete contexts. By this means, artificial distinctions between the history of philosophy,ofthevarioussciences, ofsocietyandpolitics, andofliteraturemay be seen to dissolve. The series is published with the support of the Exxon Foundation. A list of books in the series will be found at the end of the volume. THE WORLDS OF RENAISSANCE MELANCHOLY Robert Burton in Context ANGUS GOWLAND UniversityCollegeLondon cambridge university press Cambridge,NewYork,Melbourne,Madrid,CapeTown,Singapore,Sa˜oPaulo cambridge university press TheEdinburghBuilding,Cambridgecb22ru,UK PublishedintheUnitedStatesofAmericabyCambridgeUniversityPress,NewYork www.cambridge.org Informationonthistitle:www.cambridge.org/9780521867689 (cid:1)AngusGowland2006 Thisbookisincopyright.Subjecttostatutoryexceptionandtotheprovisionsofrelevantcollective licensingagreements,noreproductionofanypartmaytakeplacewithoutthewrittenpermissionof CambridgeUniversityPress. Firstpublished2006 PrintedintheUnitedKingdomattheUniversityPress,Cambridge AcataloguerecordforthispublicationisavailablefromtheBritishLibrary isbn-13 978-0-521-86768-9hardback isbn-10 0-521-86768-1hardback CambridgeUniversityPresshasnoresponsibilityforthepersistenceoraccuracyofURLsfor externalorthird-partyinternetwebsitesreferredtointhispublication,anddoesnotguarantee thatanycontentonsuchwebsitesis,orwillremain,accurateorappropriate. Contents Acknowledgements page ix Conventions xi Introduction 1 The ‘LettertoDamagetes’ 8 1 The medical theory of melancholy 33 The nature andstatusof medicalinquiry 35 Medicine and humanist philosophy 40 Bodyandsoul 43 Neo-Galenic occultism 50 The Anatomy andthe medical theoryofmelancholy 54 Division anddefinition 56 Causes, symptoms, prognostics, cures 72 Medical occultism intheAnatomy 85 2 Dissecting medical learning 98 The humanist critiqueof medicine 100 Medicine and Christian humanism 122 Knowledge andits uses 135 3 Melancholy and divinity 139 England andEurope 141 English theology andecclesiastical politics 143 University theologicaldispute 151 The intellectual complexion ofLaudianism 154 Religious melancholy 158 Orthodoxyandcontroversy 161 War andreligion 166 The EnglishChurch 169 Predestination anddespair 174 Humanism andthe early Stuart Church 192 Spiritual politics inthe Anatomy 203 vii viii Contents 4 The melancholy body politic 205 Psychology andpolitics 206 Jacobean theories ofmonarchy 212 Court andcounsel 219 Dissectingthe bodypolitic 223 The politics ofmelancholy 240 5 Utopia, consolation, and withdrawal 246 The philosopher andthe commonwealth 253 Melancholy andutopia 261 On miseryandconsolation 266 Satireandphilosophy 275 Democritus Junior 287 Conclusion: Robert Burton’s melancholy 295 Bibliographies 302 Index 329 Acknowledgements My greatest debt is to Quentin Skinner. He first encouraged me to read Burton, oversaw my study on him from its inception, and has provided inspiration, encouragement, and kind support for a number of years. I would also like to thank the examiners of my doctoral dissertation (cid:1) Peter Burke, from whose encyclopaedic knowledge I have benefited greatly, and Warren Boutcher, whose acuity and advice have been very influential upon my approach to the Anatomy. I am grateful to Peter Stacey, with whom I have enjoyed many absorbing conversations on Renaissance philosophy; and to Richard Serjeantson, whose generously shared erudition has been of much assistance. Other friends and colleagues towhom warm thanks aredue include Valentina Arena, Geoff Baldwin, Malcolm Bowie, Brendan Bradshaw, Cathy Curtis, Hannah Dawson, Lauren Kassell, Richard Luckett, Iain McDaniel, Peter Mack, Claire Preston, Peter Schro¨der, Jeremy Schmidt, David Sedley and Nicholas Tyacke. Richard Fisher has been an extraordinarily patient and supportive editor. I would also like to acknowledge the Fellows of King’s College, Magdalene College, and Christ’s College in Cambridge, and the members of the Department of History at University College London, all of whom have provided hospitable and stimulating environments assisting the development of this work. Ivan and Mary Schro¨der’s generosity with books has been remarkable; my parents Richard and Alison have been a constant source of support and encouragement. MydeepestgratitudeistomywifeIngrid,whoseconversationandloving patience (cid:1) along with my son Conrad (cid:1) have sustained me throughout. ix