Scarcely had the Tatars and Khmielnitski retreated, when the king's troops made their appearance before Firley's camp. At the aspect of the national banners waving in the air, near Zbaraz, all attempts to preserve order and discipline in the garrison became useless. A crowd of living spectres rushed into the embraces of their brethren in arms. Some, exhausted by long suffering and privation, e:8:pi«:ed with excess of joy. Shortly afterwards, masses were performed, to render thanksgiving to Heaven for the miraculous deliverance of this band of heroes; but many of the inhabitants of Zbaraz never more were blessed with the sight of wife, mother, sisters, or children. This celebrated defence, one of the most obstinate and determined of its kind in the seventeenth century, earned for its leader, Firlev, immortal fame; afforded time to the king of Poland to detach, by means of skilfully directed intrigues, the Tatar troops from the Cossack alliance; reawakened the energies of the Polish nation; and thereby, most probably saved all Europe from a terrible invasion on the part of the barbarian tribes, not less dangerous than had been formerly that of Attila or of Ghengiz-Khan. Khmielnitski and the Tatars lost in twenty-nine attacks on Zbaraz, and in the battle of Zborof, upwards of 50,000 of their best troops, and the best part of their artillery. There was in Firley's camp a priest, Mucheveski, stationed at the gate of the castle, who, with his single carabine, shot down upwards of two hundred Cossacks, according to Pastorius; himself receiving several wounds. Firley was presented with a starosty, as a reward for his signal exploit; but, beyond this, history is silent as regards his subsequent career. It is only by such another man that Poland can once iore be freed. The Firley family is of British origin; ranking, however, amongst the most illustrious of the Polish nobility. It has produced several warriors, a few statesmen, and a host of beautiful women. There were yet remaining, in Austrian Gallicia, a few surviving descendants of this distinguished family; and there may still be found, if indeed they have not been massacred by the peasantry in the late insurrection of the latter against the nobles. Many historians consider the defence of Zbaraz by Firley one of the most surprising military achievements upon record.
The convention of Zbaraz was highly displeasing to the Polish nobility, as being too favourable to the Cossacks. Complaints on the subject were in consequence made to the Diet; but the king, unshaken in his purpose, appeared more obstinately bent than ever on having it observed. In a short time, however, Khmielnitski, still protesting his good intentions, fanned anew the embers of discord: setting on foot a variety of intrigues, now with Turkey, now with the Court of Russia, on his own account; and after promising the Sultan to yield him up the Ukraine, on certain conditions — amongst others, that he might expel the hospodar of Moldavia, as being too favourably disposed towards Poland — he openly and without any previous declaration of war invaded the latter province, of which he made himself master. Scarcely had the hospodar sufficient time to take refuge, with a few troops, in those vast forests which had so often been the tomb of an invading foe. From this retreat, however, he shortly afterwards emerged, after paying a heavy ransom to Khmielnitski, to whose son, moreover, he promised to give his daughter in marriage. This invasion spread alarm once more throughout Poland; more especially as Khmielnitski, under the pretext of aiding the khan of the Tatars in an invasion against the Circassians, was levying fresh troops; and as one of his subaltern chiefs, Nitchai, about this time made an irruption into Podolia; where however, beaten, pursued, and his forces cut to pieces, he perished, together with his adherents. Although these irruptions were disavowed by Khmiebiitski, two Polish divisions, one of them under the orders of Kalinowski, and the other under Potocki, advanced upon the Ukraine and Podolia. There existed, moreover, another ground of quarrel. The disbanded Cossacks would not allow t the peasants to cultivate the soil, nor the seigneurs to reside on the estates of these districts. A deputation of Cossacks sent to negociate with the king, made such extravagant demands and proposals so insolent, that John Kasimir himself changed his mind regarding them; and having learned that the Cossacks were about voluntarily to submit themselves to Turkey, he immediately raised 50,000 fresh troops, convoked the Pospolite ruszenie, or general muster of the nobles, and marched against Khmielnitski; whilst Radziwill, almost invariably successful against the Cossacks, guarded Lithuania.