Date: 1774

"It is observed, that every thing is well remembered, which is impressed on the mind when free and disengaged."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Without this, the exercise of memory would be much more difficult than it is: for our remembering any series of thoughts, it would be necessary to impress them all vigorously on the mind; if any of them were faint, it would necessarily be forgotten."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Memory is weak in very young children, and in very old men; but the weakness proceeds from dissimilar causes. The former are not capable either of bestowing so close attention upon things, or of comprehending them so perfectly, as would be necessary for their making a strong or lasting impressio...

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"It is a perfection of memory to be susceptible, to receive an impression quickly: it is likewise a perfection of memory to be tenacious."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Because the impression is made quickly, it does not follow that it is strong: a susceptible memory, like a soft body, receives some impression at once, and because this impression is perceivable at once, we are at no pains to deepen it, we allow it to continue slight: when the memory is, as it ...

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Sometimes these perfections are united: the memory is of such a happy temperature as may be compared to wax, which receives the seal easily and strongly when it is melted, and immediately hardens and suffers it not to be effaced."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"In this case, the separate perceptions are faintly impressed upon the mind, their experienced connexions strongly; and these are the only connexions which influence it, the relations conferred by imagination have none; the subject likewise is not clearly understood."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Another consequence is, that the memories of different persons are suited to different subjects. Some are especially ready in remembering reasonings, and such phenomena and processes in nature as are the proper subjects of reasoning; the connexions of things as causes and effects, make the stron...

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774

"Refinement and elegance of taste has an effect on fancy, in some respects opposite to those of sensibility. Where it prevails, it hinders many forms and appearances striking to others, from yielding it such gratification as may make an impression on the fancy."

— Gerard, Alexander (1728-1795)

Date: 1774, rev. 1787, 1779 in English

"Let us apply this to the mind; let us see how ideas work, and how impressions fix upon it, till at length a violent passion takes entire possession, destroys all the powers it possessed when at ease, and entirely subdues it."

— Goethe, Johann Wolfgang (1749-1832)