Date: May 10, 1704

"The deepest account, and the most fairly digested of any I have yet met with is this, that air being a heavy body, and therefore, according to the system of Epicurus, continually descending, must needs be more so when laden and pressed down by words, which are also bodies of much weight and grav...

— Swift, Jonathan (1667-1745)

Date: 1719

"No one, that shall ever read this Account, will expect that I should be able to describe the Horrors of my Soul at this terrible Vision, I mean, that even while it was a Dream, I even dreamed of those Horrors; nor is it any more possible to describe the Impression that remain'd upon my Mind, whe...

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1719

"[A]nd this I must observe with Grief too, that the Discomposure of my Mind had too great Impressions also upon the religious Part of my Thoughts, for the Dread and Terror of falling into the Hands of Savages and Canibals, lay so upon my Spirits, that I seldom found my self in a due Temper for Ap...

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1719

A "strange Impression upon the Mind, from we know not what Springs, and by we know not what Power," may over-rule us

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1719

"I thought the Impression was so strong upon my Mind, that it could not be resisted, that it must come from some invisible Direction"

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1719

"The Words were very apt to my Case, and made some Impression upon my Thoughts at the time of reading them"

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1719

"But it was all to no Purpose, I had an irresistible Desire to the Voyage; and I told her, I thought there was something so uncommon in the Impressions I had upon my Mind for the Voyage, that it would be a Kind of resisting Providence, if I should attempt to stay at Home."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1720

"After I had made proper Impressions on his Mind, of the Terror of his Punishment, and found that he was sufficiently humbled by it, I went into the House, and caus'd him to be brought out, just as they do when they go to Correct the Negroes on such Occasions; when he was strip'd and ty'd up, he ...

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1720

"Then I was to argue with them, and Work upon their Reason, to make the Mercy that was shew'd them sink deep into their Minds, and give lasting Impressions; explain the Meaning of Gratitude to them, and the Nature of an Obligation, and the like, as I had done with Mouchat."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)

Date: 1720

"If it should be enquir'd, how I was capable of hearing all this, and having no Impressions made upon my Mind by it, especially, when it so many ways suited my own Case, and the Condition of the former part of my Life; I shall answer that presently by it self."

— Defoe, Daniel (1660?-1731)