Depression and Melancholy, 1660–1800

As a psychiatric term ‘depression’ dates back only as far as the mid-nineteenth century. Before then a wide range of terms were used to describe the experience of lowness of spirits. ‘Melancholy’ carried enormous weight, culturally and medically, and was one of the two confirmed forms of eighteenth-century insanity. The twin statues ‘Melancholy Madness’ and ‘Raving Madness’ stood outside Bethlem Hospital as they had since the 1670s, patterns of diagnosis as much as of popular perception. At the same time the melancholy perspective could be associated culturally with enhanced sensitivity, as in the work of the poet Thomas Gray, with creative genius and intelligence – a belief that Johnson was later to warn Boswell against – and even with being in the height of fashion, as satirized by Pope in the ‘Cave of Spleen’ episode of Rape of the Lock. In the work of the poet William Cowper melancholy assumed an almost wholly religious aspect, with suicide as the only apparent release.

This four-volume primary resource collection is the first large-scale study of depression across an extensive period. Divided chronologically, each volume addresses a particular theme. The first volume examines the relationship between religion and melancholy with particular emphasis on Methodism and evangelical Protestantism. The literature of Methodism abounds with references to the psychological despair experienced by those who believe themselves to have been forsaken by God. Volume two depicts a period of radical change in medical understanding, as attitudes towards the body and its functions became increasingly evidence-based, while volume three explores the ways in which depression was identified, experienced and described from the inside. Finally, the fourth volume brings together a range of publications, including broadsides, songs, poems and essays in order to reconstruct the cultural context of depression at the close of the eighteenth century.

• Presents key texts from medicine, religion and popular culture for the first time since original publication
• Most texts from autobiographical sources have never been published
• Provides rigorous examination of the relationship between illness, culture and society
• Full editorial apparatus: general introduction, volume introductions, headnotes and endnotes
• Consolidated index

Contents

Volume 1: Religious Writings (edited by David Walker and Anita O'Connell)

Henry More, Divine Dialogues containing Sundry Disquisitions (1668); Edward Fowler (1632–1714) The Principles and Practices of Certain Moderate Divines of the Church of England, abusively called Latitudinarians (1671); Richard Baxter, God’s goodness vindicated … with respect to the doctrine of reprobation and damnation (1671); Joseph Glanvill ‘Antifanatickal Religion and Free Philosophy’, Essay 7 in Essays on Several Important Subjects in Philosophy and Religion (1676); Richard Baxter (1615–91) The Cure of Melancholy and Overmuch-Sorrow by Faith and Physick (1683); Frances Norton, Memento Mori: or, meditations on death (1705); Richard Davies, An Account of the Convincement, Exercises and Travels of … Richard Davies (1710); John Stevenson (?–1728) A Rare Soul Strengthning and Comforting Cordial for Old and Young Christians: Being An Exact Account of the Author’s Experience (1729); William Crawford, Zion’s Traveller: or, the Soul’s Progress to Heaven (1729); Jacob Behmen (1575–1624) The Four Complexions: Or A Treatise of Consolatory Instruction Against the Time of Temptation, For a Sad and Assaulted Heart (1st published in 1621, translated into English and published in London, 1730); Samuel Clarke, ‘Of Religious Melancholy’, Sermon XIV, in Sermons by Samuel Clarke in XI volumes (1749); Anne Dutton (1691/5–1765) A Brief Account of the Gracious Dealings of God, with a Poor, Sinful, Unworthy Creature, in Three Parts (1750); Elisabeth West (nd) Memoirs, or Spiritual Exercises of Elisabeth West: Written by her own Hand (1766); Benjamin Fawcett, Observations on the Nature, Causes and Cure of Melancholy; especially of that which is called Religious Melancholy (1780); John Wesley (1703–91) Thoughts on a Nervous Disorder (1786); John Howie (1735–1793) Memoirs of the Life of John Howie: Who Lived in Lochgoin, Parish of Fenwick, and died January 5th, 1793. Containing A Series of Religious Exercises, Soul Soliloquies, Meditations, and an Account of the Lord’s Goodness to him in general (1796)

Volume 2: Medical Writings (edited by Michelle Faubert and Allan Ingram)

Gideon Harvey, Morbus Anglicus … To which are added, some Brief Discourses of Melancholy, Madness , and Distraction occasioned by Love (second edition, 1672); Richard Browne, Medicina Musica … to which is annexed a New Essay on the Nature and Cure of the Spleen and Vapours (1674); Thomas Willis, Dr. Willis’s Practice of Physick (1681); David Irish, Levamen infirmi: or, Cordial Counsel to the Sick and Diseased … II, Concerning Melancholy, Frensie, and Madness (1700); Thomas Sydenham, Dr. Sydenham’s Compleat Method of Curing Almost All Diseases (fourth edition, 1710); John Woodward, Select Cases, and Consultations, in Physick (practised 1695–1728, published 1757); John Midriff, Observations on the Spleen and Vapours … these Melancholy Disorders since the Fall of the South-sea, and other publick Stocks (1721); Anon (‘A Physician’), A Treatise of Diseases of the head, Brain, and Nerves … to which is subjoin’d, A Discourse of the Nature, real Cause and certain Cure of Melancholy in Men, and Vapours in Women (1721); William Stukely, Of the Spleen (1722); Richard Blackmore, A Treatise of the Spleen and Vapours (1725); Nicholas Robinson, A New System of the Spleen, Vapours, and Hypochondriack Melancholy (1729); Edward Synge, Sober Thoughts for the Cure of Melancholy; Especially that which is Religious (1738); George Cheyne, The Natural Method of Cureing the Diseases of the Body, and the Disorders of the Mind Depending on the Body (1742); Anon. A Treatise on the Dismal Effects of Low-spiritedness. In which is Contained, Many Useful Hints for Preventing that Disagreeable and Destructive Disorder from Taking Root in the Human System (1750); John Langhorne, Letters on religious retirement, melancholy, and enthusiasm (1762); Robert Whytt, Observations on the nature, causes, and cure of those disorders which have been commonly called nervous hypochondriac, or hysteric (1765); Thomas Harmer, The good liable to intellectual disorders, of the melancholy kind, equally with others (1779); Benjamin Fawcett, Observations on the nature, causes and cure of melancholy; especially of that which is commonly called religious melancholy (1780); John Leake, Medical instructions towards the prevention and cure of chronic diseases peculiar to women (fifth edition, 1781); William Perfect, Cases of insanity, the epilepsy, hypochondriacal affection, hysteric passion, and nervous disorders, successfully treated (c.1785); William Rowley, A treatise on female, nervous, hysterical, hypochondriacal, bilious, convulsive diseases; apoplexy and palsy; with thoughts on madness, suicide (1788); John Birch, A Letter to the author, from Mr. John Birch, Surgeon, on the subject of electricity in An Essay on electricity, explaining the principles of that useful science (1792)

Volume 3: Autobiographical Writings (edited by Leigh Wetherall Dickson)

Sir Edmund Godfrey, magistrate, selected extracts from his correspondence with Valentine Greatrakes, the ‘Irish Stroker’, (1666–1671); Antony Wood, antiquarian, selected extracts from his journals (1660–1695); John North, college head, selected extracts from his correspondence with his family (1670); Anne Finch, Countess of Winchelsea and poet, The Spleen (1709); Elizabeth Freke, autobiographer and diarist, selected extracts from her diary (1671–1714); Anon, An Abstract of the Remarkable Passages in the Life of a Private Gentleman; Relating to a Troubled Mind, Some Violent Temptations and a Recovery in order to waken the Presumptuous, Convince the Sceptic and Encourage the Despondent (1715); Mary Cowper, courtier and diarist, selected extracts from her diary (1723); William Pitt, Earl of Chatham, selected extracts from his correspondence (c.1738); George Drummond, Lord Provost of Edinburgh, selected extracts from his diary (1736–1738); Lady Mary Coke, courtier, selected extracts from her letters and journals (1736-1738); Thomas Blacklock, poet, Hymn on Fortitude (1746); Andrew Erskine, Two Odes: Indolence & Impudence (1762); Sylas Neville, physician and traveller, selected extracts from his diary (1767–1788); Trial transcript, Mary, Wife of John Hindes, otherwise Mary Jones, widow, was indicted for the wilful murder of Joseph Smith, and infant about the age of seventeen months, her own evidence, (18th May, 1768); Charlotte Forman, journalist (‘Probus’) and letter writer, selected extract from correspondence with John Wilkes (1768–1770); William Kingsbury, Independent minister, selected extract from his diary (1776); Alexander Knox, Presbyterian minister, selected extract from his correspondence with John Jebb (1776–1785); Thomas Jones, landscape painter, selected extract from his unpublished memoirs (c.1780); John Logan, Church of Scotland minister, selected extract from his correspondence with Alexander Carlyle (1781); James Boswell, lawyer, diarist and biographer of Johnson, letter to Edmund Burke (18th March 1782); Robert Burns, poet, selected extract from his commonplace book (1783–1785); Reverend John Gambold, Poem on Lowness of Spirits/A Piece Written at a Time When Under an Apprehension of Losing his Senses (1789); Joseph Wright of Derby, painter, selected extracts from his correspondence with William Hayley (1791); Hannah Robertson, The Life of Mrs. Robertson; A Tale of Truth as well as of sorrow (1791); Thomas Pennant, naturalist and travel writer, selected extracts from The Literary Life of the Late Thomas Pennant esq. By Himself (1793); Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, selected extracts from her correspondence with Mary Graham (1778–1794)

Volume 4: Popular Culture (edited by Allan Ingram and Leigh Wetherall Dickson)

Anon, The Lovers Mad Fits and Fancies, to a Delightfull New Tune (c.1663–1665); Anon, The discontented plow-man. This man was troubled in his mind ... To the tune of, True love rewarded, or, Flora farewell (c.1674–1679); Anon, The Mourning Conquest, Or, The Woman’s sad Complaint, and doleful Cry, to see Her Love in Fainting fits to Lye (c.1681); Samuel Wesley, ‘A Tobacco Pipe’, Maggots, or Poems on several subjects, never before handled by a schollar (1685); Thomas D’Urfey, The comical history of Don Quixote (1694); John Dennis, Rinaldo and Armida a tragedy, as it is acted at the theatre in Little-Lincoln’s-Inn (1699); Anon, ‘Sylvia’s Spleen vented against her Monkey for breaking her Looking-Glass', Reflections, Moral and Comical (1707); Thomas Gordon, ‘Of the Spleen’, The Humourist (1730); Anon, The Hyp, a Burlesque Poem in Five Cantos, Including the Adventures of Sir Valetude Whim and his Retinue (1731); Thomas Sheridan, The Simile: or, woman a cloud, A Poem (1748); Anon, ‘The Lovesick Maid’, The Cautious Maid’s Garland (1755); Joseph Bromehead, The Melancholy Student (1765); Ashley Cowper, ‘To a Lady, Who desired the Author to send a Receipt for the Spleen’, Poems and Translations (1767); Anon, ‘The Spleen, An Epistle to Mr. C--- J---.’, The Wag; or, Life of Humour (1773); George Colman, The Spleen, or Islington Spa (1776); John Marjoribanks, ‘The Vapours’ Trifles in Verse, by a young soldier (1798); John Macgowen, Infernal Conference: or Dialogues of Devils, Volume 2 (1799); (Louis Sebastien Mercier), The Point of Honor: A play in 3 Acts, Taken from the French, and Performed at the Theatre-Royal ... by Charles Kemble (1800)

Related titles

• Asylum Writings in Nineteenth-Century Britain
• Dying to be English : Suicide Narratives and National Identity, 1721–1814
• Liberating Medicine, 1720–1835
• Literature and Science, 1660–1834
• Nervous Disease in Late Eighteenth-Century Britain : The Reality of a Fashionable Disorder
• The History of Old Age in England, 1600–1800
• The History of Suicide in England, 1650–1850

Leaflets

• Colour leaflet

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