Philosopher, mathematician, and historian Thomas Carlyle (1795–1881) believed that to understand history, one needed only to look closely at great men.

“The age of miracles is forever here,” he wrote — a reminder of how fully he trusted the unexpected.

Carlyle was an apostle of courage and endurance, called the “undoubted head of English letters” by his lifelong friend Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Born on this day in Scotland and the eldest of nine children, Carlyle became the first of the Victorian “wisdom writers.” His major works included The French Revolution (1837), On Heroes, Hero-Worship, and the Heroic in History (1841), and The History of Frederick the Great (1858–65).

His prolific output made him one of London’s leading literary and intellectual figures. “A good book is the purest essence of a human soul,” he said.

Known also for his skill in mathematics, Carlyle taught himself German and translated Legendre’s Éléments de géométrie through 33 editions. “It is a mathematical fact,” the gifted writer said, “that the casting of this pebble from my hand alters the center of gravity of the universe.”

Historians note that Carlyle was inspired by the philosophy of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe and carried a reputation for being critical, strong-willed, and stubborn. An advocate for the working class, he wrote with passionate idealism and celebrated the power of human life.

“The soul gives unity to what it looks at with love,” he wrote, distilling the heart of his philosophy into a single quiet truth.

More Thomas CARLYLE Quotations