Date: 1774

"Oh, there's been precious doings with the Hearts of Steel"

— Cumberland, Richard (1732-1811)

Date: 1775

"That heart, by war and honour steel'd to fear, / Droops on a sigh, and sickens at a tear!"

— Sheridan, Richard Brinsley (1751-1816)

Date: 1775

"But, O, my brother! if thou hast a heart / That is not steel'd with stoic apathy / Against the magic of all-conqu'ring love, / Beware of beauty's pow'r; for she has charms / Wou'd melt the frozen breast of hoary age, / Or draw the lonely hermit from his cell / To gaze upon her."

— Francklin, Thomas (1721-1784)

Date: February 15, 1776

"George, steel your heart, steel your heart, you Rogue."

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

Date: 1777

"Pale-eyed Affright, his heart of silver hue, / In vain essayed her bosom to acale."

— Chatterton, Thomas (1752-1770)

Date: 1778

"I must first see what state my troops are in.--Go you, Drill, and bring 'em before us--here they come! here they come--come on my hearts of gold"

— Pilon, Frederick (1750-1788)

Date: 1778

"As to my Fanny and myself, our souls had been created, like sympathetic steel and magnet, to leap together at first sight!"

— Brooke, Henry (c. 1703-1783)

Date: 1779

"Then steel your mind, to bear the story's horror."

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

Date: 1780

"Pull away, my lads, pull away; that's my hearts of gold, pull away"

— Pilon, Frederick (1750-1788)

Date: 1780

"Then bravely on, my hearts of steel, / The haughty foe is vap'ring;"

— Pilon, Frederick (1750-1788)