--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: a prophetic private in the Life Guards…" description: "\"“a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London a..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg" --- # a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the… ![“a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of years, after” quote by Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg) > ““a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of years, after”” [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A satirical vision of urban destruction, suggesting that society’s own mechanisms could consume the city. **In simple terms:** Society may destroy itself through its own actions. Key Takeaway Beware self‑destructive systems. Themes satire urban decay political critique Mood cynical reflective Type literary political When to use this quote - city planning - environmental policy - public health - urban development Key Concepts industrialization social collapse metaphor Questions to Reflect On - What modern forces could metaphorconsume” our cities? - How do we balance progress with preservation? A Different Perspective The metaphor may exaggerate actual risk. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Cock Lane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cock-lane-3235779/) [Guards Heralded](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/guards-heralded-1537573/) [London Westminster](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/london-westminster-3235778/) [Swallowing London](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/swallowing-london-2128848/) [Throne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throne/) [Westminster Cock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/westminster-cock-3235780/) ## Related quotes > [“arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arrangements-were-made-for-the-swallowing-up-of-london-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/that-arrangements-were-made-for-the-swallowing-up-of-london-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/whom-a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had-heralded-the-sublime/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of years, after rapping out its messages, as the spirits”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/london-and-westminster-even-the-cock-lane-ghost-had-been-laid-only-a/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/appearance-by-announcing-that-arrangements-were-made-for-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/her-five-and-twentieth-blessed-birthday-of-whom-a-prophetic-private/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-southcott-had-recently-attained-her-five-and-twentieth-blessed-2/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/attained-her-five-and-twentieth-blessed-birthday-of-whom-a-prophetic/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had-heralded-the-sublime-2/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/blessed-birthday-of-whom-a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“at that favoured period, as at this. Mrs. Southcott had recently attained her five-and-twentieth blessed birthday, of whom a prophetic private in the Life…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/at-that-favoured-period-as-at-this-mrs-southcott-had-recently/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/good-or-for-evil-in-the-superlative-degree-of-comparison-only-there/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mere messages in the earthly order of events had lately come to the English Crown and People, from a congress of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mere-messages-in-the-earthly-order-of-events-had-lately-come-to-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/present-period-that-some-of-its-noisiest-authorities-insisted-on-its/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever. It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/state-preserves-of-loaves-and-fishes-that-things-in-general-were/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More by Charles Dickens > [“All other swindlers upon earth are nothing to the self-swindlers, and with such pretences did I cheat myself. Surely a curious thing. That I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/all-other-swindlers-upon-earth-are-nothing-to-the-self-swindlers-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [... Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced - a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/arthur-gride-whose-bleared-eyes-gloated-only-over-the-outward/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There can be no disparity in marriage like unsuitability of mind and purpose.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-can-be-no-disparity-in-marriage-like-unsuitability-of-mind-and/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I have tried to resign myself, and to console myself; and that, I hope, I may have done imperfectly; but what I cannot firmly…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-have-tried-to-resign-myself-and-to-console-myself-and-that-i-hope-i/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [A new heart for a New Year, always!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-new-heart-for-a-new-year-always/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The suspense: the fearful, acute suspense: of standing idly by while the life of one we dearly love, is trembling in the balance; the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-suspense-the-fearful-acute-suspense-of-standing-idly-by-while-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mrs. Joe was a very clean housekeeper, but had an exquisite art of making her cleanliness more uncomfortable and unacceptable than dirt itself.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mrs-joe-was-a-very-clean-housekeeper-but-had-an-exquisite-art-of/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [There seems a magic in the very name of Christmas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/there-seems-a-magic-in-the-very-name-of-christmas/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“evening, they began to think that although he could never hope to be an Englishman, still it would be hard to visit that affliction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/evening-they-began-to-think-that-although-he-could-never-hope-to-be/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Besides which, all that I could have said of the Story to any purpose, I had endeavoured to say in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/besides-which-all-that-i-could-have-said-of-the-story-to-any-purpose/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The wheels rolled on, and rolled down by the Monument, and by the Tower; and by the Docks; down by Ratcliffe, and by Rotherhithe;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-wheels-rolled-on-and-rolled-down-by-the-monument-and-by-the-tower/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“The three customers pulled off their hats to Madame Defarge, with three flourishes. She acknowledged their homage by bending her head, and giving them…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/the-three-customers-pulled-off-their-hats-to-madame-defarge-with/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“What a situation!' cried Miss Squeers; '...What is the reason that men fall in love with me, whether I like it or not, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/what-a-situation-cried-miss-squeers-what-is-the-reason-that-men-fall/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [I admire machinery as much is any man, and am as thankful to it as any man can be for what it does for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/i-admire-machinery-as-much-is-any-man-and-am-as-thankful-to-it-as-any/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Mr. Pickwick was a philosopher, but philosophers are only men in armour, after all.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mr-pickwick-was-a-philosopher-but-philosophers-are-only-men-in-armour/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Explore all 2,309 Charles Dickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) ## More Throne quotes > [“State preserves of loaves and fishes, that things in general were settled for ever. It was the year of Our Lord one thousand seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/state-preserves-of-loaves-and-fishes-that-things-in-general-were/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“I have established my throne in heaven, and my kingdom rules over all. The day is mine, and mine also the night; I established…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zhang-yun/i-have-established-my-throne-in-heaven-and-my-kingdom-rules-over-all/) [Zhang Yun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zhang-yun/) > [“I once knew a man who was heir to the throne of a great kingdom, he lived as a ranger and fought his destiny…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-joybell-c/i-once-knew-a-man-who-was-heir-to-the-throne-of-a-great-kingdom-he/) [C. JoyBell C](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-joybell-c/) > [A married woman is a slave you must know how to seat upon a throne.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/honor-de-balzac/a-married-woman-is-a-slave-you-must-know-how-to-seat-upon-a-throne/) [Honore de Balzac](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/honor-de-balzac/) > [“KINGDOM OF THE WOMB From her thighs, she gives you life And how you treat she who gives you life Shows how much you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzy-kassem/kingdom-of-the-womb-from-her-thighs-she-gives-you-life-and-how-you/) [Suzy Kassem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzy-kassem/) > [When the venerable pontiff's hour has come, a Roman of good age shall be elected, of whom it will be said that he dishonored…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nostradamus/when-the-venerable-pontiff-s-hour-has-come-a-roman-of-good-age-shall/) [Nostradamus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nostradamus/) > [“present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/present-period-that-some-of-its-noisiest-authorities-insisted-on-its/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [“Real kings and queens are people whose heads are crowned with dreams as they sit on the throne of passion. They rule with visions…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israelmore-ayivor/real-kings-and-queens-are-people-whose-heads-are-crowned-with-dreams/) [Israelmore Ayivor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israelmore-ayivor/) > [“Nobody has control of anything. We're all beggars at the throne of fate. But sometimes he has mercy!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/orson-scott-card/nobody-has-control-of-anything-we-re-all-beggars-at-the-throne-of/) [Orson Scott Card](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/orson-scott-card/) > [“If they come to this forest, to us here, seeking shelter from the havoc that has been brought upon their lands, at the hands…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/madison-thorne-grey/if-they-come-to-this-forest-to-us-here-seeking-shelter-from-the-havoc/) [Madison Thorne Grey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/madison-thorne-grey/) > [“No matter how powerful hate seems, it cannot usurp the throne of love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-bassey-johnson/no-matter-how-powerful-hate-seems-it-cannot-usurp-the-throne-of-love/) [Michael Bassey Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-bassey-johnson/) > [The Emperor Napoleon, ascending gradually from his post of national magistrate to seat himself upon a throne without limits, seems to have wished to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-lafayette/the-emperor-napoleon-ascending-gradually-from-his-post-of-national/) [Marquis de Lafayette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-lafayette/) > [“Mere messages in the earthly order of events had lately come to the English Crown and People, from a congress of”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/mere-messages-in-the-earthly-order-of-events-had-lately-come-to-the/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) > [You're missing the point! There's no throne, there is no version of this where you come out on top. Maybe your army comes and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-avengers/you-re-missing-the-point-there-s-no-throne-there-is-no-version-of/) [The Avengers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-avengers/) > [“good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only. There were a king with a large jaw and a queen with a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/good-or-for-evil-in-the-superlative-degree-of-comparison-only-there/) [Charles Dickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/) [Browse all 332 Throne quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/throne/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements were made for the swallowing up of London and Westminster. Even the Cock-lane ghost had been laid only a round dozen of years, after”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Charles Dickens" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had-heralded-the-sublime/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Throne" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had-heralded-the-sublime/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ac6/charles-dickens-34_quote_a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-h_1960698.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“a prophetic private in the Life Guards had heralded the sublime appearance by announcing that arrangements…” — Charles Dickens", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Charles Dickens", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-dickens/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“a prophetic private in the Life...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had-heralded-the-sublime/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-dickens/a-prophetic-private-in-the-life-guards-had-heralded-the-sublime/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```