Thomas Carlyle:
(4 December 1795 – 5 February 1881).
Scottish essayist, historian and philosopher.
Known as the ‘sage of Chelsea’, his writings strongly influenced the intellectual and artistic culture of the Victorian era.
Carlyle was a critical thinker who questioned the liberal democratic ideal of his time. He believed more in the importance of strong leaders (‘great men’) than in the collective wisdom of the masses.
True humour springs not more from the head than from the heart; it is not contempt, its essence is love; it issues not in laughter, but in still smiles, which lie far deeper.
Silence is deep as Eternity; Speech is shallow as Time.
Long stormy spring-time, wet contentious April, winter chilling the lap of very May; but at length the season of summer does come.
The thought, that a man’s freedom would consist in casting his vote in elections, and saying, ‘Behold, I also have my twenty thousandth share of a speaker in our national assembly, won’t all the gods favour me now?’, this one is most pleasing.
