Date: 1586, 1589

"The minde is as a white paper, wherein as a man groweth in age and judgement, he writeth his cogitations and thoughts, which the studie of letters and learning do affoord him."

— La Primaudaye, Pierre de (b. ca. 1545); Thomas Bowes (fl. 1586)

Date: 1589

"And this phantasie may be resembled to a glasse as hath bene sayd, whereof there be many tempers and manner of makinges, as the perspectiues doe acknowledge, for some be false glasses and shew thinges otherwise than they be in deede, and others right as they be in deede, neither fairer nor foule...

— Puttenham, George (1529-1590/91)

Date: 1592

Elizabeth preferred not "to make windows into men's hearts and secret thoughts, except the abundance of them did overflow into overt and express acts and affirmations."

— Bacon, Sir Francis, Lord Verulam (1561-1626)

Date: 1593

"[A]s wee apparaile our selves in Beastes skinnes, in self same sort we clothe our soules in theyr sinnes"

— Nashe, Thomas (bap. 1567, d. c. 1601)

Date: 1594

"The soul of man being therefore at the first as a book, wherein nothing is and yet all things may be imprinted; we are to search by what steps and degrees it riseth unto perfection of knowledge."

— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)

Date: 1594

"Till we grow to some ripeness of years, the soul of man doth only store itself with conceits of things of inferior and more open quality, which afterwards do serve as instruments unto that which is greater; in the meanwhile above the reach of meaner creatures it ascendeth not."

— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)

Date: 1594

"Goodness is seen with the eye of the understanding. And the light of that eye, is reason."

— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)

Date: 1594

"Finally, Appetite is the Will’s solicitor, and the Will is Appetite’s controller."

— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)

Date: 1594

"In the rest there is that light of Reason, whereby good may be known from evil, and which discovering the same rightly is termed right."

— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)

Date: 1594

"Hereby it cometh to pass that custom inuring the mind by long practice, and so leaving there a sensible impression, prevaileth more than reasonable persuasion what way soever."

— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)