Date: 1783

Some philosophers "think, that the brains of old men, grown callous by length of time, are, like hard wax, equally tenacious of old impressions, and unsusceptible of new."

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"The human brain is a bodily substance; and sensible and permanent impressions made upon it must so far resemble those made on sand by the foot, or on wax by the seal, as to have certain shape, length, breadth, and deepness"

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"Does the human soul go up to the pia mater, as a housewife does to her garret, only at certain times? Or, if she makes it her place of abode, are there any corners of it which she is unacquainted with, or neglects to look into?'

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"In the places thus appropriated to the artificial Memory (supposing them the apartments of the house) there would be moveables; as statues and pictures in one warlike weapons in another, tables and couches in a third: or, if they did not admit of such furniture, it would be easy for the orator t...

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"And thus, the subdivisions of the several heads of his harangue, and even particular sentiments in each subdivision, might be imprinted on his mind by a similar mode of arrangement"

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

" In this way, too, we learn to think for ourselves, and acquire in time a stock of knowledge that is properly of our own growth: which is proof, that our minds are really cultivated, and serves as an encouragement to persist in making further acquisitions."

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"Traders often revise their books; to see whether every thing be neat, and accurate, and in its proper place. Students, in like manner, should often revise their knowledge, or at least the more useful branches of it; renew those impressions on the Memory, which had begun to decay through length o...

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"If, therefore, you are well instructed in theology, the argument of every Sermon will be familiar to you; on every such argument your mind will be stored with a great variety of expression; you can never be at a loss for topicks; and your quotations will be no burden to your Memory"

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"[W]hat Horace observes of words is equally true of thoughts ... every superfluity is lost, like water poured into a vessel already full."

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)

Date: 1783

"If the mind is not vacant, Attention will be painful, and interrupted, and the Memory slow to receive any durable impression"

— Beattie, James (1735-1803)