Date: w. 1628, published in 1684, 1701

"First, in so far as our external senses are all parts of the body, sense-perception, strictly speaking, is merely passive, even though our application of the senses to objects involves action, viz. local motion; sense-perception occurs in the same way in which wax takes on an impression from a s...

— Descartes, René (1596-1650)

Date: w. 1628, published in 1684, 1701

"In all these functions the cognitive power is sometimes passive, sometimes active; sometimes resembling the seal, sometimes the wax."

— Descartes, René (1596-1650)

Date: w. 1628, published in 1684, 1701

"It should not be thought that I have a mere analogy in mind here: we must think of the external shape of the sentient body as being really changed by the object in exactly the same way as the shape of the surface of the wax is altered by the seal."

— Descartes, René (1596-1650)

Date: 1685

"[W]hat has all that we have said / Of our good wishes, no impression made / In thy poor Soul?"

— Clark, William (fl. 1663-1685)

Date: 1686

"But the false Image she will ne're erace, / Though far unworthy still to hold its place: / So hard it is, even Wiser grown, to take / Th' Impression out, which Fancy once did make."

— Killigrew, Anne (1660-1685)

Date: 1686, 1689, 1697

"'Tis so many times in the capacities of Youth: they who can receive any impression like the Virgin-wax, will as easily suffer a defacement unless it be hardned and matur'd by Time: whereas others who are hard to be wrought upon like Steel, retain the Images which are Engraven on them with much m...

— Nourse, Timothy (c.1636–1699)

Date: 1687

"Their thoughts or words can leave no mark behind; / Thy self dost make th' impression on thy mind."

— Rawlet, John (bap. 1642, d. 1686)

Date: 1687, 1691

"And above all things, let us carefully observe this Precept, writ in the Book of their Law, but is not always imprinted in their Hearts, Never do to Others, no not thy Enemies, that which thou wouldst not have done to thy self."

— Marana, Giovanni Paolo (1642-1693); Anonymous [William Bradshaw (fl. 1700) or Robert Midgley (1655?-1723)?]

Date: 1687, 1691

"Suffer me, my dear Dgnet, to tell thee, that never any Creature made such deep Impressions in the Heart of a Man, as this charming Greek did in mine."

— Marana, Giovanni Paolo (1642-1693); Anonymous [William Bradshaw (fl. 1700) or Robert Midgley (1655?-1723)?]

Date: 1688

"There are a thousand things to be said of the Advantages this generous Passion brings to those, whose Hearts are capable of receiving its soft Impressions."

— Behn, Aphra (1640?-1689)