Date: 1774

"If we lose sight altogether of the beaten road of memory, we shall be in danger of missing our way in the winding paths of imagination. So bold an adventurer will come at last to regions inhabited only by monsters."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Bring us to a place where we have formerly been, or only speak of it, immediately ideas of persons whom we have seen, of conversations in which we have been engaged, of actions which we have done, or of scenes which we have witnessed, in that place or near it, croud into our mind."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Relations which we are accustomed to follow in the train of our thoughts, are like roads with which we are acquainted, and in which we therefore pursue a journey without any concern, hesitation, or deviation."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"The imagination resembles a person attached to home, who cannot without reluctance undertake a long journey, but can with pleasure make short excursions, returning home from each, and thence setting out anew."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Opposite forces in mechanics tend to destroy one another. This is analogous to the case before us. The objects strictly connected with a passion are naturally fit for introducing ideas related to themselves; the passion acts in a contrary direction, and endeavours to keep the mind from running o...

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"It arises partly, we have seen, from the mind's dividing its attention between several objects all closely and almost equally connected with the passion; partly from the rapidity with which the mind takes in dissimilar views of any one of these objects; and partly from the struggle between objec...

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"A strong perception, like a deep shade of colouring, seems to decay more slowly than one that is faint and delicate; and though it should decay as fast, it would be longer before it were effaced."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"By bestowing attention, the mind as it were embraces the objects exhibited to it, and lays itself open to a strong impression from them, which makes them both affect it much while they are present, and keep firm possession of the memory afterwards."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"It is observed, that every thing is well remembered, which is impressed on the mind when free and disengaged."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Without this, the exercise of memory would be much more difficult than it is: for our remembering any series of thoughts, it would be necessary to impress them all vigorously on the mind; if any of them were faint, it would necessarily be forgotten."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)