Remember thereby your dear father, and me, your dear mother, who have written this with my own hand, for your edification; and always keep this gold real with you, with this letter, for a perpetual testament. I herewith bid you adieu and farewell; I hope to seal this letter with my blood at the stake.
I herewith commend you to the Lord, and to the comforting word of his grace, and bid you adieu once more. I hope to wait for you; follow me, my dearest child.
Once more, adieu, my dearest upon earth; adieu, and nothing more; adieu, follow me; adieu and farewell.
Written on the 10th of August, A. D. 1573, at Antwerp.
This is the testament which I wrote in prison for my daughter Janneken, whom I bore and gave birth to here in my bonds.
By me your dearest mother, imprisoned for the Lord’s sake.
Janneken Munstdorp.
Note.—With this testament we also received a letter which the same Janneken van Munstdorp wrote to her dear father and mother, who, as it seems, had not yet come to the true faith; who are by her exhorted to the best, and to whom she in the meantime commends her little child.
COPY OF A LETTER BY JANNEKEN MUNSTDORP’s OWN HAND, WRITTEN AT ANTWERP IN PRISON, TO HER FATHER AND MOTHER, ON THE 19TH OF SEPTEMBER, A. D. 1573.
My dear father and my dear mother, I wish you a true understanding, and a contrite spirit in your hearts, to fear God, for an affectionate greeting.