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A book on melancholy, Optick Glasse of Humors by Thomas Walkington (1575–1621) is based on the work of ancient philosophers, such as Hippocrates (460 BCE–370 BCE) and Galen (ca. 131–ca. 201). Although Walkington did not diverge from or add to the traditional analysis of humoral theory, his book was successful; Optick Glasse of Humors saw four editions. First published in 1607, the book anticipated the work on melancholy by Walkington’s contemporary, Robert Burton (1577–1640).

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