# Quote — Charles Dickens, Barnaby Rudge

> It is curious to imagine these people of the world, busy in thought, turning their eyes towards the countless spheres that shine above us, and making them reflect the only images their minds contain. The man who lives but in the breath of princes, has nothing his sight but stars for courtiers' breasts. The envious man beholds his neighbours' honours even in the sky; to the money-hoarder, and the mass of worldly folk, the whole great universe above glitters with sterling coin—fresh from the mint—stamped with the sovereign's head—coming always between them and heaven, turn where they may. So do the shadows of our own desires stand between us and our better angels, and thus their brightness is eclipsed.

- Author: [Charles Dickens](https://www.leafyquotes.com/charles-dickens.md)
- Book: [Barnaby Rudge](https://www.leafyquotes.com/charles-dickens/barnaby-rudge.md)
- Source: [Wikiquote](https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Barnaby_Rudge#Quotes) ([CC BY-SA 4.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/))
- Quote page: https://www.leafyquotes.com/charles-dickens/barnaby-rudge/it-is-curious

## More from this book

> The men who learn endurance, are they who call the whole world brother.

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/charles-dickens/barnaby-rudge/the-men-who.md)

> "I’m of as gen-teel a calling, brother, as any man in England—as light a business as any gentleman could desire." "Was you ‘prenticed to it?" asked Mr Tappertit. "No. Natural genius," said Mr Dennis. "No ‘prenticing. It come by natur’. Muster Gashford knows my calling. Look at that hand of mine—many and many a job that hand has done, with a neatness and dexterity, never known afore. When I look at that hand," said Mr Dennis, shaking it in the air, "and remember the helegant bits of work it has turned off, I feel quite molloncholy to think it should ever grow old and feeble. But sich is life!"

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/charles-dickens/barnaby-rudge/im-of-as-gen-teel.md)

> ‘See the hangman when it comes home to him!’ cried Hugh again, as they bore him away—‘Ha ha ha! Courage, bold Barnaby, what care we? Your hand! They do well to put us out of the world, for if we got loose a second time, we wouldn’t let them off so easy, eh? Another shake! A man can die but once. If you wake in the night, sing that out lustily, and fall asleep again. Ha ha ha!’

[Quote page](https://www.leafyquotes.com/charles-dickens/barnaby-rudge/see-the-hangman.md)