The Anatomy of Melancholy by Democritus Junior [Robert Burton]. The Thirde edition, corrected and augmented by the Author, 1628.
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The third, and one of the most favoured, editions of Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy, printed in 1628. The beautiful engraved title page, though here with some loss, was engraved by Christian le Blon.
In his satirical preface to the reader, Burton's persona and pseudonym "Democritus Junior" explains, "I write of melancholy by being busy to avoid melancholy." This is characteristic of the author's style, which often supersedes the book's strengths as a medical text or historical document as its main source of appeal to admirers. Both satirical and serious in tone, the Anatomy is "vitalised by [Burton's] pervading humour", and Burton's digressive and inclusive style, often verging on a stream of consciousness, consistently informs and animates the text. In addition to the author's techniques, the Anatomy's vast breadth – addressing topics such as digestion, goblins, the geography of America, and others – make it a valuable contribution to multiple disciplines.
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Size: 187 x 282 mm (approx.)
Condition:
[(1), t.p., 1ff, **1-**2, a1-k3, 3ff, A1-4P1, 1ff, (1)]
Contemporary, almost certainly original, full calf binding, bound in England, recalling those lovely early English bindings. First blank with manuscript quote review, roughly 17th century. Binding rubbed with some losses, retaining its tooled red morocco label. Front board detached, rear board attached with joints at the top and bottom cracked, but remains reasonably secure. Boards rubbed, some loss to bottom corners of front board. Some loss to title page, backed on to later, but still antiquarian, paper, the same with the dedication leaf. First three leaves of text with smaller affixed paper, probably circa 18th century, to repair some holes, small holes in the margin still present to pp.1-4. First half of the text block dampstained to the lower half, heavy at the beginning and reducing until disappearing around 2Z3, but after gathering 2B is not too intrusive. The text is legible nonetheless despite the dampstaining. There is a lighter dampstain in the bottom corners of the second half of the text block, reducing from the rear and noticeable through the last approx 100pp. The colophon leaf is present at the rear with the date of 1628. The book was printed for Henry Cripps and this name is also given in manuscript handwriting to the colophon leaf, but seemingly rather naive, possibly in a child's hand, and very unlikely to be of the person named in the colophon.
