Editing Robert Burton (section)

===Oxford education===
[[File:John Bancroft with a View of Cuddesdon Rectory, 17th century, University College.jpg|left|thumb|[[John Bancroft (bishop)|John Bancroft]], Burton's tutor at Christ Church, and a lifelong friend. In the left corner is a view of Bancroft's palace near Oxford, [[Cuddesdon]], which Burton praised in the ''Anatomy'', suggesting he was a frequent visitor to his old tutor's estate.{{sfn|O'Connell|1986|p=9}}]]
In July 1593, aged 15, Burton [[matriculated]] into [[Brasenose College, Oxford|Brasenose College]], [[Oxford University|Oxford]],{{sfn|CCEd, Robert Burton}} where his elder brother was already attending. Burton did not receive his Bachelor's until 30 June 1602, and only after he migrated to Christ Church College in 1599.{{sfn|Nochimson|1974|p=89}}{{sfn|Bamborough|2009}} For the time between his matriculation and his transfer, almost nothing is known of Burton.{{sfn|Traister|1976|p=66}} According to [[Anthony à Wood]], Burton "made considerable progress in logic and philosophy" at Brasenose,{{sfn|Wood|1815}} though the college left an impression sufficiently weak that Burton himself made no mention of Brasenose in his corpus.{{sfn|O'Connell|1986|p=8}} Most Oxford students would have completed their education at nineteen, but by 1602, Burton was twenty-six. Some biographers, such as Michael O'Connell and [[J. B. Bamborough]], have cited this as evidence Burton suffered some lengthy illness while a student, possibly melancholy.{{sfn|Traister|1976|p=66}} Record has been found of one "Robart Burton of 20 yeres", a patient of London doctor and astrologist [[Simon Forman]], who was treated for melancholy over a period of five months in 1597.{{sfn|Traister|1976|pp=66–67, 69}}{{efn|"Robart Burton"'s connection to the scholar Burton is suggested not only by the "coincidence of name and age", but by Burton's later familiarity towards London,{{sfn|Traister|1976|p=68}} and the indication he was closely acquainted with Foreman from Burton's astrological notebooks. In these notebooks, Burton attributes a test for virginity used in [[judicial astrology]] to Foreman, a test which Foreman never published, suggesting Burton knew Foreman personally.{{sfn|Bamborough|1981|p=280}}{{sfn|Sununu|1987|p=244}}}} Indeed, 1596 and 1597 are the only years of Burton's maturity in which he seems to have purchased no new books.{{sfn|Bamborough|2012|p=14}}

When he entered Christ Church in 1599, Wood reports Burton was assigned as tutor [[John Bancroft (bishop)|John Bancroft]], "for form sake, tho' he wanted not a tutor";{{sfn|Bamborough|2009}}{{sfn|Nochimson|1974|pp=91–92}}{{sfn|Wood|1815}} though Bancroft was only three years his senior, he was six or seven years ahead of Burton in his studies, and was well-connected within the church,{{efn|John was the nephew of [[Richard Bancroft]], [[Bishop of London]] and later [[Archbishop of Canterbury]]. As Archbishop, Richard ensured his nephew's political advancement, granting him various sinecures, and aiding his election to the [[Mastership of University College]].{{sfn|Cranfield|2008}}}} later becoming the [[Bishop of Oxford]]. It seems some friendship developed between the two; Burton praised Bancroft's construction at [[Cuddesdon]] in the ''Anatomy'', implying he was a frequent visitor.{{sfn|O'Connell|1986|pp=9–10}} At Christ Church, Burton proceeded to an MA on 9 June 1605, and a BD in May 1614.{{sfn|Bamborough|2009}}{{sfn|Nochimson|1974|p=92}} Simultaneously, Burton rose through the college ranks, attaining ''disciplus'' in 1599, ''philosophus secundi vicenarii'' in 1603, and ''philosophus primi vicenarii'' in 1607, the last of which qualified him as a tutor.{{sfn|O'Connell|1986|p=10}} Sometime after he obtained his MA, Bamborough considers it likely Burton was attempting to leave the university. The college statutes required Burton to take a BD after his MA, but Burton chose not to proceed to DD.{{sfn|Bamborough|2009}}