Date: 1741 [1740]; continued in 1741

"I believe it would not be amiss, that he should have a Taste of Poetry, altho' perhaps it were not to be wish'd he had such strong Inclinations that way, as to make that lively and delectable Amusement his predominant Passion."

— Richardson, Samuel (bap. 1689, d. 1761)

Date: 1741 [1740]; continued in 1741

"Our Passions gone, and Reason in her Throne / Amaz'd, we see the Mischiefs we have done."

— Richardson, Samuel (bap. 1689, d. 1761)

Date: 1741 [1740]; continued in 1741

Mr B. is "a young Gentleman of violent and lawless Passions"

— Richardson, Samuel (bap. 1689, d. 1761)

Date: 1741 [1740]; continued in 1741

"But if otherwise, he may take Advantage of the Confidence plac'd in him, to the Injury of some worthy Person, and by Degrees monopolize the young Gentleman to himself, and govern his Passions as absolurely, as I have heard some First Ministers have done those of their Prince"

— Richardson, Samuel (bap. 1689, d. 1761)

Date: 1741

"He now conjectured it was more of the dignity of the soul to perform several operations by her little ministers, the animal spirits, from whence it was natural to conclude that she resides in different parts according to different inclinations, sexes, ages, and professions."

— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744); Arbuthnot, John (bap. 1677, d. 1735)

Date: 1741

Just as "the King never dies" so too is the "power of thinking, self-moving, and governing the whole machine, [...] communicated from every particle to its immediate successor; who as soon as he is gone, immediately takes upon him the government, which still preserves the unity of the whole system."

— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744); Arbuthnot, John (bap. 1677, d. 1735)

Date: 1741

The self-moving principle is like that in the House of Commons determined by majority so that "so many unthinking members" may compose "one thinking system"

— Pope, Alexander (1688-1744); Arbuthnot, John (bap. 1677, d. 1735)

Date: 1743

"This young Lady, amongst many other good Ingredients, had three very predominant Passions, to wit, Vanity, Wantonness, and Avarice."

— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)

Date: 1743

"As his most powerful and predominant Passion was Ambition, so Nature had with consummate Propriety, adapted all his Faculties to the attaining those glorious Ends, to which this Passion directed him."

— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)

Date: 1743

"Upon this, my Son Swane invaded the Coasts with several Ships, and committed many outragious Cruelties; which, indeed, did his business, as they served me to apply to the Fear of this King, which I had long since discovered to be his predominant Passion."

— Fielding, Henry (1707-1754)