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Date: 1660, 1676

"In these men the principles are holy, the instruction perfect, the law remaining, the perswasions uncancelled; but against all this torrent there is a whirlwind of passions, and filthy resolutions, and wilfulness, which corrupt the heart, while as yet the head is uncorrupted in the direct rules ...

— Taylor, Jeremy (bap. 1613, 1667)

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Date: 1664

"The parts of the blood which penetrate as far as the brain serve not only to nourish and sustain its substance, but also and primarily to produce in it a certain very fine wind, or rather a very lively and pure flame, which is called the animal spirits."

— Descartes, René (1596-1650)

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Date: 1664

"But the source which produces these spirits is usually so abundant that they enter these cavities in sufficient quantity to have the force to push out against the surrounding matter and make it expand, thus tightening all the tiny nerve-fibres which come from it (in the way that a moderate wind ...

— Descartes, René (1596-1650)

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Date: 1664

"To this I answer, that do but intensly observe any one of the former spots or clouds, and you shall see it go quite along from the tail to the head, keeping alwayes an equal distance from the precedent and subsequent spot: so that it is far more ingenious to believe it to be a gale of Animal Spi...

— Power, Henry (1623-1668)

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Date: 1667; 2nd ed. in 1674

"So much the rather thou, celestial Light, / Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers / Irradiate; there plant eyes, all mist from thence / Purge and disperse, that I may see and tell / Of things invisible to mortal sight."

— Milton, John (1608-1674)

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Date: 1667; 2nd ed. in 1674

"Thus fenced, and, as they thought, their shame in part / Covered, but not at rest or ease of mind, / They sat them down to weep; nor only tears / Rained at their eyes, but high winds worse within / Began to rise, high passions, anger, hate, / Mistrust, suspicion, discord; and shook sore / Their ...

— Milton, John (1608-1674)

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Date: 1673

" For tho the adulterations of art, can represent in the same Face beauty in one position, and deformity in another, yet nature is more sincere, and never meant a serene and clear forhead, should be the frontispiece to a cloudy tempestuous heart."

— Allestree, Richard (1611/2-1681)

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Date: 1674

"This Glandule which he supposeth to be so easily flexible and yielding to contrary impulses, is not loosely suspended, but fixed: so that whoever hath once beheld the solid basis, strong consistence, and firm connexion thereof, will hardly ever be brought to allow it capable of any impulse to ei...

— Charleton, Walter (1620-1707)

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Date: August, 1674; 1675

"My rage he scorns, and negligent appears, / And thinks the Storm will melt away in tears"

— Crowne, John (bap. 1641, d. 1712)

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Date: 1670, rev. 1678

"Corn is cleansed with the wind, and the soul with chastning."

— Ray [formerly Wray], John (1627-1705)

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The Mind is a Metaphor is authored by Brad Pasanek, Assistant Professor of English, University of Virginia.