Date: 1159

"What is more remarkable, every one of us carries in his heart a book of knowledge, opened by the exercise of reason."

— John of Salisbury (c. 1115-1180)

Date: 1159

"In this [book of reason] are portrayed not only the forms of all visible things and nature in general; the invisible things of the Fabricator of all things are also written down by the very hand of God."

— John of Salisbury (c. 1115-1180)

Date: 1704

"It's a kind of tabula rasa, a Blank, that almost with the same Facility receives the Characters of Angel, and of Devil; but when once it's stained with Sin, when it's by-assed by ill Habits, and worse Principles, you will find it stubborn and rebellious."

— Darrell, William (1651-1721)

Date: w. c. 1709, 1711

"As on the land while here the Ocean gains, / In other parts it leaves wide sandy plains; / Thus in the soul while memory prevails, / The solid pow'r of understanding fails; / Where beams of warm imagination play, / The memory's soft figures melt away."

— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744)

Date: 1712, 1715, 1719

A contrivance may raze "out all those Characters of Friendship and fraternal Love, which [...] virtuous and generous Behaviour" may engrave in the Heart

— Barker, Jane (1675-1743)

Date: 1733

"My head and heart thus flowing thro' my quill, / Verse-man or Prose-man, term me which you will."

— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744)

Date: 1743

"When Reason doubtful, like the Samian letter, / Points him two ways, the narrower is the better."

— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744)

Date: 1756-9

"From their cradle she instilled into them the most perfect maxims of piety, and contempt of the world. the ancient Romans dreaded nothing more in the education of youth than their being ill taught the first principles of the sciences; it being more difficult to unlearn the errours then imbibed, ...

— Butler, Alban (1709-1773)

Date: 1766, 1806

"Say, from thy mind canst thou so soon remove / The records pencil'd by the hand of love?"

— Jerningham, Edward (1727-1812)

Date: 1786

"But your humanity must ever be engraved on my heart."

— Inchbald [née Simpson], Elizabeth (1753-1821)