“With this,” explained the manifesto, “we open to each deserving man of plebeian condition a place, we indicate and offer by this our confederation an opportunity to reach and acquire the honors, prerogatives, and benefits which the noble estate enjoys—” When this introduction was read at the royal council, a deep silence followed. Those who with the king desired most earnestly that access to rights of nobility should be open to people of lower station thought that they would have to overcome, endure, and break no small opposition; that whole years would pass before it would be safe to give utterance to anything similar; meanwhile that same nobility which hitherto had been so jealous of its prerogatives, so stubborn in appearance, opened wide the gate to the gray crowds of peasants. The primate rose, encircled as it were by the spirit of prophecy, and said,— “Since you have inserted that _punctum_ (paragraph), posterity will glorify this confederation from age to age, and when any one shall wish to consider these times as times of the fall of ancient Polish virtue, in contradicting him men will point to you.” Father Gembitski was ill; therefore he could not speak, but with hand trembling from emotion he blessed the act and the envoys. “I see the enemy already departing in shame from this land!” said the king. “God grant it most quickly!” cried both envoys. “Gentlemen, you will go with us to Lvoff,” said the king, “where we will confirm this confederation at once, and besides shall conclude another which the powers of hell itself will not overcome.” The envoys and senators looked at one another as if asking what power was in question; the king was silent, but his countenance grew brighter and brighter; he took the act again in his hand and read it a second time, smiled, and asked,— “Were there many opponents?” “Gracious Lord,” answered Pan Domashevski, “this confederacy arose with unanimity through the efforts of the hetmans, of Sapyeha, of Pan Charnyetski; and among nobles not a voice was raised in opposition, so angry are they all at the Swedes, and so have they flamed up with love for the country and your majesty.” “We decided, moreover, in advance,” added Pan Slujevski, “that this was not to be a diet, but that _pluralitas_ (plurality) alone was to decide; therefore no man’s _veto_ could injure the cause; we should have cut an opponent to pieces with our sabres. All said too that it was necessary to finish with the _liberum veto_, since it is freedom for one, but slavery for many.” “Golden words of yours!” said the primate. “Only let a reform of the Commonwealth come, and no enemy will frighten us.” “But where is the voevoda of Vityebsk?” asked the king. “He went in the night, after the signing of the manifesto, to his own troops at Tykotsin, in which he holds the voevoda of Vilna, the traitor, besieged. Before this time he must have taken him, living or dead.” “Was he so sure of capturing him?”