Date: 1724

"In a word, it never Lightn'd or Thunder'd, but I expected the next Flash wou'd penetrate my Vitals, and melt the Sword [Soul] in this Scabbord of Flesh."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"Those Reflections began to prey upon my Comforts, and lessen the Sweets of my other Enjoyments: They might be said to have gnaw'd a Hole in my Heart before; but now they made a Hole quite thro' it; now they eat into all my pleasant things; made bitter every Sweet, and mix'd my Sighs with every S...

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"I must acknowledge, the Notion of being discover'd, carried with it so many frightful Ideas, and hurry'd my Thoughts so much, that I was scarce myself, any more than Amy, so dreadful a thing is a Load of Guilt upon the Mind."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"His Ignorance was a Cordial to my Soul."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"'Tis impossible to express the anxious Thoughts that rowl'd about in my Mind, and continually perplex'd me about her."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"My Thoughts had for so long time been kept as it were, waking, that almost every-thing gave me the Allarm, and this especially, so that I was very uneasie."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"I might, indeed, turn pale, for I was very much surpriz'd at first, believing that this was, as it often happens in such Cases, only a Project to drop me, and break off an Amour, which he had now carried on so long; and a thousand Thoughts whirl'd about my Head in the few Moments while I was kep...

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1724

"In short, every thing we do, you construe to your own advantage: if we look easy and pleas'd in your Company, we are certainly in Love; if grave and reserv'd, 'tis to hide our Love; thus you all imagine we are fond of gaining a Conquest over a Heart, which when we have got it, is perhaps so very...

— Davys, Mary (1674-1732)

Date: 1724

"If I have here touch'd a young Lady's Vanity and Levity, it was to show her how beautiful she is without those Blots, which certainly stain the Mind, and stamp Deformity where the greatest Beauties would shine, were they banish'd."

— Davys, Mary (1674-1732)

Date: 1724

"Vanity is a lurking subtile Thief, that works itself insensibly into our Bosoms, and while we declare our dislike to it, know not 'tis so near us; every body being (as a witty Gentleman has somewhere said) provided with a Racket to strike it from themselves."

— Davys, Mary (1674-1732)