Top 15 Robert Burton Quotes

English scholar (1577–1640)

Robert Burton (8 February 1577 – 25 January 1640) was an English writer and scholar at Oxford University (at Christ Church), known chiefly for writing The Anatomy of Melancholy.

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Pen Names: Democritus junior

Alternative Names: Democritus Junior

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Be not solitary, be not idle.

What physic, what chirurgery, what wealth, favor, authority can relieve, bear out, assuage, or expel a troubled conscience? A quiet mind cureth all them, but all they cannot comfort a distressed soul: who can put to silence the voice of desperation?

They have cheveril consciences that will stretch.

Our conscience, which is a great ledger book, wherein are written all our offenses...grinds our souls with the remembrance of some precedent sins, makes us reflect upon, accuse and condemn ourselves.

A good conscience is a continual feast.

Melancholy and despair, though often, do not always concur; there is much difference: melancholy fears without a cause, this upon great occasion; melancholy is caused by fear and grief, but this torment procures them and all extremity of bitterness.

One religion is as true as another.

When they are at Rome, they do there as they see done.

Isocrates adviseth Demonicus, when he came to a strange city, to worship by all means the gods of the place.

The Devil himself, which is the author of confusion and lies.

Out of too much learning become mad.

The fear of some divine and supreme powers keeps men in obedience.

For ignorance is the mother of devotion, as all the world knows, and these times can amply witness.

If the world will be gulled, let it be gulled.

Where God hath a temple, the Devil will have a chapel.