From his palace Ivan proceeded to the church of the Assumption, where the blessing of Heaven was implored, and then issuing orders that the bishops, all over the empire, should offer prayers daily for the success of the expedition, he mounted his horse, and accompanied by the cavalry of his guard, took the route to Kolumna, a city on the Oka, about a hundred miles south of Moscow.

It will be remembered that the Tartar horde existed in several vast encampments.  One of these encampments occupied Tauride, as the region north of the Crimea, and including that peninsula, was then called.  These barbarians, thinking that the Russian army was now five hundred miles west of Moscow at Kezan, and that the empire was thus defenseless, with a vast army of invasion were on the eager march for Moscow.  Ivan at Kolumna heard joyfully of their approach, for he was prepared to meet them and to chastise them with merited severity.  On the 22d of July, the horde, unconscious of their danger, surrounded the walls of Toola, a city about a hundred miles south of Kolumna.  Ivan himself, heading a division of the army, fell fiercely upon them, and the Tartars were totally routed, losing artillery, camels, banners and a large number of prisoners.  They were pursued a long distance as in wild rout they fled back to their own country.

This brilliant success greatly elated the army.  Ivan IV., sending his trophies to Moscow, as an encouragement to the capital, again put his army in motion towards Kezan.  The relation which existed between the sovereign and his pastor, the faithful metropolitan bishop, may be inferred from the following communications which passed between them, equally worthy of them both.

“May the soul of your majesty,” wrote the metropolitan, “remain pure and chaste.  Be humble in prosperity and courageous in adversity.  The piety of a sovereign saves and blesses his empire.”  The tzar replied,

“Worthy pastor of the church, we thank you for your Christian instructions.  We will engrave them on our heart.  Continue to us your wise counsels, and aid us also with your prayers.  We advance against the enemy.  May the Lord soon enable us to secure peace and repose to the Christians.”

On the 13th of August, with his assembled army, he reached Viask on the Volga, about fifty miles above Kezan.  Here he encamped to concentrate and rest his troops after so long a march.  Barges freighted with provisions, merchandise and munitions of war, were incessantly arriving from the vast regions watered by the Volga and the Oka.  As by magic an immense city spread out over the green plain.  Tents glistened in the sun, banners waved, and horsemen and footmen, in all the gorgeous panoply of war, extended as far as the eye could reach.

While resting here, Ivan IV. sent an embassy to Kezan, saying that the tzar sought their repentance and amendment, not their destruction; that if they would deliver up to punishment the authors of sedition, and would give satisfactory pledges of future friendliness, they might live in peace under the paternal government of the tzar.  To this message a contemptuous and defiant response was returned by the Tartar khan.  The answer was closed with these words:  “We are anxiously awaiting your arrival, and are all ready to commence our festivities.”