Polidore.
"Be silent," replied Bellarius.

Posthumus waited in silence to hear the welcome sentence of his own
death; and he resolved not to disclose to the king that he had saved
his life in the battle, lest that should move Cymbeline to pardon him.

Lucius, the Roman general, who had taken Imogen under his protection
as his page, was the first (as has been before said) who spoke to the
king. He was a man of high courage and noble dignity, and this was his
speech to the king:

"I hear you take no ransom for your prisoners, but doom them all to
death; I am a Roman, and with a Roman heart will suffer death. But
there is one thing for which I would intreat." Then bringing Imogen
before the king, he said, "This boy is a Briton born. Let him be
ransomed. He is my page. Never master had a page so kind, so duteous,
so diligent on all occasions, so true, so nurse-like. He hath done no
Briton wrong, though he hath served a Roman. Save him, if you spare no
one beside."

Cymbeline looked earnestly on his daughter Imogen. He knew her not in
that disguise; but it seemed that all-powerful Nature spake in his
heart, for he said, "I have surely seen him, his face appears familiar
to me. I know not why or wherefore I say, Live, boy: but I give you
your life, and ask of me what boon you will, and I will grant it you.
Yea, even though it be the life of the noblest prisoner I have."

"I humbly thank your highness," said Imogen.

What was then called granting a boon was the same as a promise to give
any one thing, whatever it might be, that the person on whom that
favour was conferred chose to ask for. They all were attentive to hear
what thing the page would ask for, and Lucius her master said to her,
"I do not beg my life, good lad, but I know that is what you will ask
for." "No, no, alas!" said Imogen, "I have other work in hand, good
master; your life I cannot ask for."

This seeming want of gratitude in the boy astonished the Roman
general.

Imogen then fixing her eye on Iachimo, demanded no other boon than
this, that Iachimo should be made to confess whence he had the ring he
wore on his finger.

Cymbeline granted her this boon, and threatened Iachimo with the
torture if he did not confess how he came by the diamond ring on his
finger.

Iachimo then made a full acknowledgment of all his villainy, telling,
as has been before related, the whole story of his wager with
Posthumus, and how he had succeeded in imposing upon h