After many restless changes, he finally settled down in a villa at Misenum which had once belonged to the luxurious Lucullus.

There the real state of his health was discovered.

Charicles, a distinguished physician, who had been paying him a friendly visit on kissing his hand to bid farewell, managed to ascertain the state of his pulse.

Suspecting that this was the case Tiberius, concealing his displeasure, ordered a banquet to be spread, as though in honour of his friend's departure, and stayed longer than usual at table.

A similar story is told of Louis XIV.