ore the king,
Posthumus was brought in to receive his sentence of death; and at this
strange juncture of time, Bellarius with Polydore and Cadwal were also
brought before Cymbeline, to receive the rewards due to the great
services they had by their valour done for the king. Pisanio, being one
of the king's attendants, was likewise present.

Therefore there were now standing in the king's presence (but with very
different hopes and fears) Posthumus and Imogen, with her new master the
Roman general; the faithful servant Pisanio, and the false friend
Iachimo; and likewise the two lost sons of Cymbeline, with Bellarius,
who had stolen them away.

The Roman general was the first who spoke; the rest stood silent before
the king, though there was many a beating heart among them.

Imogen saw Posthumus, and knew him, though he was in the disguise of a
peasant; but he did not know her in her male attire: and she knew
Iachimo, and she saw a ring on his finger which she perceived to be her
own, but she did not know him as yet to have been the author of all her
troubles: and she stood before her own father a prisoner of war.

Pisanio knew Imogen, for it was he who had dressed her in the garb of a
boy. "It is my mistress," thought he; "since she is living, let the time
run on to good or bad." Bellarius knew her too, and softly said to
Cadwal, "Is not this boy revived from death?"--"One sand," replied
Cadwal, "does not more resemble another than that sweet rosy lad is like
the dead Fidele."--"The same dead thing alive," said Polydore. "Peace,
peace," said Bellarius; "if it were he, I am sure he would have spoken
to us."--"But we saw him dead," again whispered Polydore. "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 entreat." Then bringing Imogen before the
king, he said, "This boy is a Briton born. Let him be ransomed. He is my
page. Neve