The next sentence to eloquence is silver. Silence is gold, eloquence is silver. It comes from the famous proverb of British writer Thomas Carlyle. Although eloquence is as precious as silver, at critical times, silence will be like gold and more important. Thomas Carlyle (December 4, 1795 - February 5, 1881) was a Scottish commentator, satirist, and historian. Thomas Carlyle's works were very influential during the Victorian era. Thomas Carlyle's representative works include "Heroes and Hero Worship", "History of the French Revolution", "The Philosophy of Clothes", and "Past and Present". In "Heroes and Hero Worship" he puts forward the view that "history is nothing but writing biographies of great men". In 1865 Thomas Carlyle was appointed Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh, a post he held until 1868.