'The Autumn is Most Melancholy'

In The Anatomy of Melancholy, Robert Burton performs data analysis on those who, as of four-hundred years ago, are most predisposed to the condition:

“Such as have the moon, Saturn, Mercury misaffected in their genitures, such as live in over cold or over hot climes: such as are born of melancholy parents; as offend in those six non-natural things, are black, or of a high sanguine complexion, that have little heads, that have a hot heart, moist brain, hot liver and cold stomach, have been long sick . . .”

Put aside the astrological business but don’t get too uppity about it. Newspapers still print horoscopes. Burton got the weather (seasonal affective disorder) and hereditary components right, as we know from modern science. The “six non-natural things” refers to Galen’s account of the six non-congenital influences on human health: ambient air, food and drink, exercise and rest, sleep, retention and evacuation of waste, emotions. Little to argue with here. The complexion reference derives from the theory of humors, which is nearly as discredited as Freud’s gimcrackery. “Little heads” is Aristotle’s idea in Physiognomica that “those who have little heads are mostly doltish.” Not the Greek’s finest moment. Burton continues with his depression demographics:

“[S]uch as are solitary by nature, great students, given to much contemplation, lead a life out of action, are most subject to melancholy. Of sexes both, but men more often; yet women misaffected are far more violent, and grievously troubled. Of seasons of the year, the autumn is most melancholy.”

That final line – direct, not at all convoluted and thus quite un-Burtonian – is issued like an inviolate truth, not to be argued with. More so in the North, the fall is the bittersweet season. In Texas, with little color change in the foliage and a middling drop in temperature and humidity, autumn is a lesser summer. But nostalgia for old autumns lends the new ones a sweet melancholy. Burton concludes:   

“Of peculiar times: old age, from which natural melancholy is almost an inseparable accident; but this artificial malady is more frequent in such as are of a middle age.”

Not yet old, no longer middle-aged, I haven’t yet found it so.