Date: 1632
"Looke as it is with a Gold smith that melteth the metall that he is to make a vessell of, if after the melting thereof, there follow a cooling, it had beene as good it had never beene melted, it is as hard, haply harder, as unfit, haply unfitter, then it was before to make vessell of; but after ...
preview | full record— Hooker, Richard (1554-1600)
Date: 1641
"As Lots wife was turned into a Pillar of Salt, that her inconstancie might be fixt, and yet be melting still: So, thou, my Soule, if I had my wish, shouldst be turned into a Pillar of Thoughts; that thy volubility might be restrain'd, and yet be thinking still."
preview | full record— Baker, Richard, Sir (c. 1568-1645)
Date: 1651
"Attraction is a ministering faculty, which, as a loadstone doth iron, draws meat into the stomach, or as a lamp doth oil; and this attractive power is very necessary in plants, which suck up moisture by the root, as, another mouth, into the sap, as a like stomach."
preview | full record— Burton, Robert (1577-1640)
Date: 1656
"Thales argued, that the Load-stone, and Amber had soules; the first because it drawes Iron, the second Straw."
preview | full record— Stanley, Thomas (1625-1678)
Date: 1657
Fancy is "The forge of shapes and dreams."
preview | full record— Poole, Joshua (c.1615–c.1656)
Date: 1664
"I suppose the body to be nothing but a statue or machine made of earth."
preview | full record— Descartes, René (1596-1650)
Date: 1665
"But as though grains of Sand and Ashes be a part, but of a despicable smallness, and very easie, and liable to be scatter'd, and blown away; yet the skilful Artificer, by a vehement Fire, brings Numbers of these to afford him that noble substance, Glass, by whose help we may both see our selves,...
preview | full record— Boyle, Robert (1627-1691)
Date: 1665
"And since Gold-smiths and Refiners are wont all the year long carefully to save the very sweepings of their Shops, because they may contain in them some Filings, or Dust of those richer Metals, Gold and Silver; I see not why a Christian may not be as careful, not to lose the Fragments and lesser...
preview | full record— Boyle, Robert (1627-1691)
Date: 1667, 1710
"And there are very few that have any true Kindness for it, and thou knowest not the Worth of that Jewel, thy Soul; but here, here's a Friend, if thou wilt but leave it with him, he will take care of it, it shall not be marted away for nothing."
preview | full record— Janeway, James (1636?-1674)
Date: 1684
"For certainly there must be some change in our mind when we have some thoughts and then others, and, in fact, ideas of things we are not actually thinking about are in our minds as the shape of Hercules is in rough marble."
preview | full record— Leibniz, Gottfried Wilhelm (1646-1716)