The Senate then turned their instant
supplications to Tiberius, to fill his vacant place; but received an
abstruse answer, touching the greatness of the Empire and his own distrust
of himself; he said that "nothing but the divine genius of Augustus was
equal to the mighty task: that for himself, who had been called by him
into a participation of his cares, he had learnt by feeling them, what a
daring, what a difficult toil was that of government, and how perpetually
subject to the caprices of fortune: that in a State supported by so many
illustrious patriots they ought not to cast the whole administration upon
one; and more easy to be administered were the several offices of the
Government by the united pains and sufficiency of many." A pompous and
plausible speech, but in it little faith and sincerity. Tiberius, even
upon subjects which needed no disguises, used words dark and cautious;
perhaps from his diffident nature, perhaps from a habit of dissembling: at
this juncture indeed, as he laboured wholly to hide his heart, his
language was the more carefully wrapped up in equivoques and obscurity:
but the Senators, who dreaded nothing so much as to seem to understand
him, burst into tears, plaints, and vows; with extended arms they
supplicated the Gods, invoked the image of Augustus, and embraced the
knees of Tiberius.
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