<p>Thomas Carlyle (1795 - 1881) was a Sottish philosopher satirical writer historian teacher and essayist. He is best known for his book &quot;The French Revolution: A History&quot; which is said to be the inspiration for Charles Dickens&#39; novel &quot;A Tale of Two Cities.&quot;</p><p>&quot;An Essay on Burns&quot; contains Carlyle&#39;s analysis of&nbsp;selected Robert Burns poems including such classics as &quot;To a Mouse&quot; and &quot;To a Mountain Daisy.&quot;</p>