“Do you bring me any tidings of my brother Josse?” said Claes, putting upon the table grilled puddings, an omelette of fat ham, cheese, and great tankards, and red clear wine of Louvain sparkling in the flasks.
The man replied:
“Thy brother Josse died upon the rack at Sippenaken, near Aix. And that was for having borne arms, being a heretic, against the Emperor.”
Claes was as one beside himself, and said, trembling in every limb, for his wrath was extreme:
“Evil murderers! Josse! my poor brother!”
The man said then in no gentle tone:
“Our joys and our woes are not of this world.”
And he began to eat. Then he said:
“I gave thy brother help in his prison, passing myself off for a countryman from Nieswiller, a relation of his. I have come hither because he said to me: ‘If thou dost not die for the faith as I do, go to my brother Claes; enjoin upon him to live in the Lord’s peace, doing the works of mercy, rearing his son in secret in the law of Christ. The money I gave him was taken from the poor and ignorant people; let him use it to bring Thyl up in the knowledge of God and the word.’”
Having said this, the messenger gave Claes the kiss of peace.