I shall seal this with my blood. Adieu, adieu, my dearest brethren and sisters, with your little lamb, and also mine, which I bore under my heart. I have written this for you yet after I was sentenced, after one o’clock in the night; however, it was not irksome to me. I take leave and bid you adieu once more, till we meet hereafter, where men shall separate us no more. Adieu, till we together drink the new wine which Christ shall give us at his table. Matt. 26:29. This other letter is from Augustijn, who sent it to me. Adieu, adieu, all of you adieu. I shall follow Hans, my dear husband. The lady with her midwife, and her nurse are going now, and shall receive a like reward. Nothing more from me, but adieu for the last time. Follow me.
Fear God; this is the conclusion.
SUSANNEKEN AND KALLEKEN CLAES, A. D. 1573.
In the year 1573, at Ghent, in Flanders, there were also apprehended, for following Christ, two sisters, young maidens, named Susanneken and Kalleken Claes, or Draeyaerts, the former aged about twenty-six, and the other about twenty-four years. While imprisoned in the Saucelet, the city prison, they had to suffer many entreaties and afflictions from the enemies of the truth, in all of which they steadfastly adhered to their only Shepherd, Lord, and the Author of their faith, to help them bear his bloody banner, his cross, and reproach, and, as courageous heroines, to strive valiantly unto death, which they had to taste for his name; for as they remained steadfast, and would in no wise depart from the divine truth, nor from the true faith, upon which they, according to Christ’s ordinance, had received baptism, they were finally sentenced to death as heretics, and, on the 4th of December of the aforesaid year, and with balls tied into their mouths, to prevent them from speaking or confessing with their mouths the cause of their innocent, fearless, voluntary, and God-pleasing death and sacrifice, they were brought into the Friday Market, and there publicly burned at the stake, going thus with burning lamps, and the oil of love in their vessels, to meet their Forerunner and Bridegroom, who will let them in, as wise virgins, to his marriage, when the foolish shall knock and not be heard, and, with too late repentance and sorrow of heart, shall have to remain excluded.
ANTHONIS YSBAERTS, A. D. 1573.
While the Duke of Alva so dreadfully persecuted, and tyrannized over, the believers, there was also apprehended and put to death, for his faith and the practice of the truth, at Tielt, in Flanders, one Anthonis Ysbaerts, who had been a servant of the High Bailiff of Ghent, and consequently often attended the executions of the saints, where he did not always with a sin-desiring, unconcerned, vain mind, nor with blinded eyes, behold the invincible steadfastness in the faith, and the joyful peace of mind, of the Christians, who in the midst of their innocent sufferings undauntedly confessed, proclaimed and magnified the name of God; but he was finally so stirred and troubled by it in his heart, that he forsook not only the service of his temporal lord, but also the worship of idols, and betook himself henceforth to become a servant of God, notwithstanding he had many times witnessed what had befallen others on this account, [and knew] that he had to expect the same, as it also occurred with him.
As soon as he had betaken himself to hear the word of God, and to follow Christ, and so advanced therein, that he was considered worthy to receive baptism upon his faith, and to be received as a fellow-member of the church of Christ, he had to flee the country, and thus went to Vriesland, where he, not being conversant with any trade, could earn only a very precarious living. In the meantime it happened that a brother who had also fled from Tielt (mentioned above) on account of his faith, and come to live in Vriesland, and who had left behind much property, hired this Anthonis, and sent him to Tielt, to arrange his unsettled affairs, and save his effects and convey them to him, as much as he conveniently could. When he had attended to all the things with which he had been charged, and was just on the point of returning to Vriesland, the Bailiff of Tielt came to him, and asked him, whether he did not belong to the same people as those that had sent him out, which when he did not dare deny, the Bailiff sent for his beadles, and had him conducted to prison, where he had to resist not a little vexation and torment; but when he, in all things, steadfastly adhered to the accepted truth, he was finally, pursuant to the king’s decree, sentenced to death, to be burnt alive as a heretic.
This sentence having been read to him, he requested permission to speak a word, and this being granted, he asked the lords whether they did not think that such a sentence was too cruel for him, who had not done anything amiss to any one. This produced such a commotion among the judges, that they held a consultation and concluded that he should first be strangled, and then burnt. He thanked them that they had shown him so much mercy.
There was also with him one Friar Pieter de Backer, who sought to converse much with him, in order to cause him to apostatize, but he mostly refused all he said, finally saying: “Let me alone; my heart is of good cheer, my departure is very near at hand, for the bell which is striking now shall not strike another time before I hope to have offered up my sacrifice, and to be at home with my Redeemer, in whom all my hope and confidence rests.”
He was therefore brought forth to die, in very mean attire, for which he had exchanged his own clothes, which were better, giving the latter to one who was imprisoned for his crime, and was shortly to be released.