Date: 1778

"Do you think the public opinion, his various doubts of himself, and of her, the pride of his family, and the loud claims of avarice, his ruling passion 'till now, won't prove near an equipoise to his love?"

— Foote, Samuel (1720-1777)

Date: 1780

"Once love gets into a man's head, poor reason is brought before a court-martial of the passions, and cashiered without a hearing"

— Pilon, Frederick (1750-1788)

Date: 1785

Play [gambling] may be a ruling passion

— MacNally, Leonard (1752-1820)

Date: 1785

"I was surpriz'd, taken unawares, passion ran away with me like an unbroke horse: but I have got him under now; I can govern him with a twine of thread."

— Cumberland, Richard (1732-1811)

Date: 1786

Love of admiration may be a ruling passion

— Pilon, Frederick (1750-1788)

Date: 1787

Money may be a ruling passion

— Holcroft, Thomas (1745-1809)

Date: 1788

Lovers are governed by Cupid and must obey the "laws of a monarch, whose throne is the heart"

— Cobb, James (1756-1818)

Date: 1789, 1797

"Still in this breast shall dearest Emma reign, / Nor e'er my will your virgin choice shall sway."

— Berkeley, George Monck (1763-1793)

Date: March 8, 1790

"Love does all day the soul's great empire keep; / But Wine, at night, lulls the soft God asleep."

— Kemble, John Philip (1757-1823)

Date: 1792

"Love sits triumphant on the heart--his throne! / And breaks those fetters bigots would impose, / To aggravate the sense of human woes!"

— Morton, Thomas (1764-1838)