Date: 1603

A people may be "muddied, / Thick and unwholesome in their thoughts and whispers / For good Polonius' death."

— Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Date: 1603

"Thus conscience does make cowards of us all, / And thus the native hue of resolution / Is sicklied o'er with the pale cast of thought, / And enterprises of great pith and moment / With this regard their currents turn awry, / And lose the name of action."

— Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)

Date: 1680

"'Tis an Error as groundless as Vulgar, to think that there goes no more to the furnishing a Poet, than a Wind-mill in the Head, a Stream of Tattle, and convenient Confidence; whereas no Exercise of the Soul requires a more compos'd Thought, more sparingness of Words, more Modesty and Caution in ...

— Tate, Nahum (c. 1652-1715)

Date: 1693

"Well, the night comes, the Maid plies Clelia harder with Glasses than ever, not without mixing Friends to Venus in the Liquor, which was still advanc'd by the Discourse that was on purpose brought in by the Maid to stir up warm desires, when the Wine had already heated her blood; and all this ha...

— Anonymous

Date: 1700

"Oh! all ye Powers that virtuous Love inspire, / Assist me now: inform my Vocal Organs / With Angel Eloquence, such as can melt / His Heart of Flint, and move his former Kindness."

— Centlivre [née Freeman; other married name Carroll], Susanna (bap. 1669?, d. 1723)