The Polish Cossacks

From the year 1621 the maritime excursions of the Polish Cossacks appear to have declined in frequency, either on account of Turkey having adopted more efficient measures for repelling them, or from the Cossacks themselves (who had, in consequence of the wars with Russia and Germany, frequent opportunities of displaying elsewhere their restless activity in the field, and their passion for plunder), esteemed these marauding adventures as no longer so profitable as before. Previously to the Turkish war, in 1621, one of their chiefs was admitted into the presence of the Sultan, who seems to have been anxious to behold with his own eyes an individual of that strange race of beings who had formerly been so severe a scourge to the Ottoman empire. After putting several questions to him, which the Cossack answered with equal boldness and sincerity, he asked him, what were the numbers of his people. ** Sire," replied the chief, ' they are as numerous as the grains of sand on the sea shore: each grain covers a multitude of others." He was dismissed with presents. It appears that they carefully concealed the true amount of their population. As, after the war with Turkey, they again continued to seduce the peasantry of the great nobles from their allegiance to their feudal lords, the latter, exasperated at the incessant defection of their vassals, commenced a still harsher system of oppression than before, towards the authors of these vexations. Several partial revolts ensued in consequence. The Cossacks were defeated by Konietzpolski, and by others of the Polish generals, who, however, failed to turn their victories to profitable account. The centre of the Cossack power was at that time established at Czerkask (Tcherkaske), defended by precipices and inaccessible rocks: they had 50,000 excellent troops under arms, and a large flotilla on the celebrated islands of the Dnieper; and this force they, on emergency, easily augmented by fresh levies of trained recruits. After the victory gained by the Polish general Konietzpolski over the Cossacks at Kumeyki, and the execution of their chiefs, the Diet of 1635 deprived them of the city of Trchtymirow, abolished their privileges, sup- pressed their militia, and declared their territory reunited for ever to Poland. But to publish decrees of this kind, with any prospect of having them obeyed, requires an accompanying power of being able to carry them into effect. Poland had at this period several other wars in hand; the Cossacks were rather scattered and dispersed than definitively vanquished; added to which, an event altogether unexpected exercised the most fatal influence on this unfortunate war. The circumstances of this new subject of political disaster are of sufficient interest to merit particular mention.