Date: 1779

"Why stand'st thou thus, with such exploring eyes, / As if thou'dst read the workings of my brain?"

— Cowley [née Parkhouse], Hannah (1743-1809)

Date: 1781

"But what will then fill up the blank of this my heart?"

— Raspe, Rudolph Eric (1737-1794); Lessing, G. E. (1729-1781)

Date: 1785

"I own thy image is engraven on my heart."

— Holcroft, Thomas (1745-1809)

Date: 1786

"But your humanity must ever be engraved on my heart."

— Inchbald [née Simpson], Elizabeth (1753-1821)

Date: 1790

"[W]hile I live, your generosity and valour shall be engraven on my heart"

— Reynolds, Frederick (1764-1841)

Date: 1790

"[W]hile I live his generosity must be engraved on my heart"

— Reynolds, Frederick (1764-1841); Miles Peter Andrews (d. 1814)

Date: 1794

"No--no!--no man's temper's more mild, when taken at a proper season, but now his head's as crowded as a newspaper, and in as much confusion as your work-bag, what with the thoughts of his new varnish, and the expectation of Mr. Vapour,--I'll speak to him for you."

— Hoare, Prince (1755-1834)

Date: 1795

"I'm only a living volume, and if you will peruse my thoughts, you'll read of nothing but yourself --you are engraved here in indelible letters"

— Reynolds, Frederick (1764-1841)

Date: 1796

"Oh! it was not a diamond which engraved that image on my heart"

— Anonymous; Kotzebue (1761-1819)

Date: 1796

"Ay: ay: this is none of your modern paper skull'd authors--old Geoffery's head is sound"

— Reynolds, Frederick (1764-1841)