s
Julia's; and--well, Tiberius would bear his griefs alone. No
sound escaped him.

But, as no effort of his could help or save her, live with Julia,
or in Rome, he could not. His health broke down; he threw up
all offices, and begged leave to retire to Rhodes. Augustus was
(apparently) quite unsympathetic; withheld the permission until
(they say) Tiberius had starved himself for four days to show it
was go or die with him. And no, he would not take Julia; and he
would give no reason for not taking her. Well; what was
Augustus to do, having to keep up human appearances, and suit his
action to the probabilities? What, but appear put out, insulted,
angry? Estrangement followed; and Tiberius went in (apparent)
disgrace. I find the explanation once more in _Light on the
Path;_ thus--

"In the early state in which a man is entering upon the silence
he loses knowledge of his friends, of his lovers, of all
who have been near and dear to him: _and also loses sight of
his teachers._"

So in this case. "Scarce one passes through," we read, "without
bitter complaint." But I think Tiberius did.

How else to explain the incident I cannot guess. Or indeed, his
whole life. Tacitus' account does not hang together at all; the
contraditions trip each other up, and any mud is good enough to
fling. Mr. Baring-Gould's version goes far towards truth; but
the well is deep for his tackle, and only esotericism, I think,
can bring up the clear water. Whether Augustus knew all
personally, or was acting simply on the promptings of his inner
nature, or of Those who stoood behind him,--he took the course,
it seems to me, which as an Occult Teacher he was bound to take.
His conduct was framed in any case to meet the needs of his
disciple's initiation. He, for the Law, had to break that
disciple's outer life; and then send him lonely into the silence
to find the greater life within. Truly these waters are deep;
and one may be guessing with the utmost presumption. But hear
_Light on the Path_ again; and judge whether the picture that
emerges is or is not consistent. It says:

"Your teacher or your predecessor, may hold your hand in his, and
give you the utmost sympathy the human heart is capable of. But
when the silence and the darkness come, you lose all knowledge of
him: you are alone, and he cannot help you; not because his
power is gone, but because you have invoked your great enemy."

--Tiberius was alone, and Augus