Martyrs Mirror 1094TWELVE CHRISTIANS AT DEVENTER: YDSE GAUKES, DIRCK VAN WESEL, WITH ANNEKEN AND JAN; NEKEN, THEIR WIVES; HARMEN THE DYER, BRUYN, ANTHONIS THE WEAVER, CLAES OP; REYDER, LIJSBET AND CATHARINA SOM ERHUYS, LIJNTGEN JORIS, AND TRIJNT; GEN HER DAUGHTER, A. D. 1571

In the year 1571, on the 11th of March, in the night, the Spaniards at Deventer (having held a tournament during the day) went out with swords, halberds, guns, and many other implements, to apprehend the sheep of Christ. They went through many houses, searching in some streets from house to house; and all whom they could find they apprehended, and fettered and ironed them, saying: "O you heretical dogs, because you deny the Roman Catholic faith you will have to die." For a few days the gates were closed, and there was read by the sound of the town bell, the proclamation, that no one should conceal any, and if any one should know of any that were concealed, that he should report them. But this order was not obeyed; for many were concealed, who secretly fled, and left their goods for a spoil. In all there were apprehended twelve, namely, Ydse Gaukes, Dirck van Wesel, with Anneken and Janneken, their wives; Harmen the dyer, Bruyn, and Anthonis the weaver, Claes Opreyder, Li j sbet and Catharina Somerhuys, Lijntgen Joris, and Trijntgen her daughter; all of whom at first when they were apprehended, were valiant, and confessed their faith; but some were greatly afraid according to the flesh, and abandoned the faith even before they were tortured. (In the torture they were drawn up, their hands tied behind their back and heavy weights of iron, or cannon balls, suspended to their feet). Several others did indeed remain valiant in the torture, but subsequently also apostatized from the faith; and four remained valiant throughout.

Thus it happened that they were frequently visited, and that they (who had denied the faith with the mouth) were very sorrowful, and promised and said, that if the Lord should grant them grace so that they should get out, they would return to the truth. And when on the 20th of May (when they offered up their sacrifice on the 25th) a friend came to them, they asked very closely what news he brought. The friend replied, that the news was bad; he feared that they all should have to die; in short, much was said, and the friend remarked: "I love you, so much that I would you were all out of all this, and that I could be imprisoned in your place;" so that the prisoners became very sorrowful, and wept most bitterly, and said to the friend: "It is best that you go, on account of the Spaniards."

Thus it came to pass on the 24th of May, in the evening, that monks came to them, to speak with them, that they should prepare themselves, since they were to die the next day. The monks went away at twelve o'clock in the night, but returned at four o'clock in the morning. There were two men, Dirck van Wesel and Harmen the dyer; and four women, Dirck van Wesel's wife, Ydse Gaukes' wife, and Somerhuys' two daughters, Lijsbet and Catharina; who did not hearken to the monks, but, according to all that could be seen and heard, cleaved to the eternal truth. First, when they came out of the prison, with a very joyful countenance and smiling, they, bowing their heads, said adieu to a friend whom they knew well, and who had visited them in prison; and he smiled to them in return.

Thus did at first the four women; but the two brethren, Bruyn and Anthonis the weaver, who were brought out with them, were very sorrowful, and did not speak; the women, however, spoke much and greatly reproved the monks that were with them; yea, they were heard to say, that Christ their Bridegroom and Shepherd had thus gone before, and they would follow Him as His own sheep, and they kissed one another very affectionately, the two sisters having hold of each other's hand, and began to sing: "My God, whither shall I go?" Then they had to separate, and six of them were put into the wagon. When they arrived at the scaffold, they brought Catharina, the younger sister, upon the scaffold first. She was very bold in speaking, and said: "Know, ye citizens, that it is not for any evil, but for the truth." When she had ascended the scaffold, her sentence was read, which was as follows: "If she would abide in the Catholic church, she should be executed with the sword; but if not, should be burnt alive." She was then asked, whether she would abide in the Catholic church. She answered: "No; I want to abide in the truth." They said "Then you will be burnt

alive." "I do not care for that," she said; "you deal in lies;" and she spoke very boldly. She was then taken from the scaffold again, and put into the wagon; and her mouth was closed, so that she could not speak any more. Then the two brethren (namely, Bruyn and Anthonis) were one after the other brought upon the scaffold, and were both beheaded, without speaking anything, except that the one was heard to say: "O Lord, be merciful to me." They then returned to the tower, and fetched Dirck and Harmen. These both had their mouth gagged, so that they could not speak; but they made many signs on the way by nodding, and smiling and were very bold, so that the people were astonished.

Thus these two were brought upon the scaffold, and they frequently smiled and nodded to those whom they knew, and who stood before them. Harmen then fell upon his knees and prayed to the Lord; but as he made it too long for them, the executioner pulled him up, and he boldly placed himself at the stake. While the executioner was fastening Harmen, Dirck kneeled, and called upon the Lord from the heart; for they could not speak.

Then Dirck arose and affectionately embraced Harmen as he stood at the stake, kissed him, and pointed with his hand up to heaven. Thereupon Dirck went with a joyful and smiling countenance, and stationed himself with his back to the stake, and cast up his eyes to heaven. When they had been thus fastened to the stakes, the four women were brought from the wagon to the scaffold, and saw the two standing at the stakes. They were very glad and smiled, folded their hands, cast up their eyes to heaven, kissed one another, and all of them fell upon their knees, and each placed herself very boldly with her back to the stake. While they thus kissed one another, there came a noise almost as if it had been thunder or a wagon without horses, and it seemed to come from the Brink, and roared before the wagon, so that the people fell over one another, and no one knew what it was, so that a great fear arose. The Spaniards said that it thundered. Previously, when the two were beheaded, the monks made a speech, that everyone should keep his children away from this people, and that no one should become offended, though they should now be burnt, which was the pleasure of the royal majesty; and that no one should make any ,disturbance. They had no sooner concluded this speech, than there came such a noise, even as though it came from the main street beyond, so that the people did not know what to do with themselves for fear. Hence the Spaniards began to cry alarm, and the drums also began to sound the alarm; but it all passed off without any harm being done. Some said that they saw a light over the scaffold, like a dark sun; this, however, I did not see, but I saw and heard the noise. Moreover, when they were standing at the stakes, straw and wood were laid around them, so that only their heads were visible. While thus standing at the stakes, they made many a friendly sign to those whom they knew, by smiling, by nodding, and by casting up their eyes to heaven; so that the Spaniards said: "To whom may they nod thus?" And the one to whom they nodded stood by the Spaniards in front of the scaffold, and heard the Spaniards say it. This brother also nodded and smiled, and pointed with his hand on high, that they should take God for their helper. Thereupon thev cast their eyes up to heaven, except Dircks van Wesel who was unconscious already when the wood and straw were laid around him; for the chains that were around his neck choked him, for he had been greatly tortured, so that his arms had been much injured; and when the executioner fastened his arms behind around the stake, a faintness seized him, so that he became unconscious, and was not seen to manifest any further signs of life. The executioner then lighted the fire, and all six were burnt alive (together with two baskets full of books), some almost to ashes. The bones and bodies were buried near the gallows.

This was thus done at Deventer, on the Brink, the 25th of May, A. D. 1571.

Subsequently, on the 16th of July of the same year, the other valiant heroes, namely, Claes Opreyder, Ydse Gaukes, Lijntgen Joris, and her daughter, named Catharina, were brought from the tower, with their mouths gagged, so that they could not speak, and passed along the streets very boldly, smiling and nodding to many. Thus Claes was brought upon' the scaffold first, and he fell upon his knees, to prayer; but the executioner lifted him up, for the Spaniards would not tolerate it, and cried: "Villains, Villains I" But the six preceding ones, who had been offered up first, had performed their prayers, and had not been prevented from it; for they had been allowed to come together, and also to kiss one another; but since the people said so much about it, how they had prayed, and so lovingly kissed one another, they had resolved to bring only one at a time on the scaffold. Now when Claes stood at the stake, they also brought Ydse upon the scaffold. and he forced his way to Claes and kissed him. Hence the Spaniards clamored again, and were enraged. While thev were fastening Ydse, a Spaniard, one of the ehiefest, together with a monk, stood by Catharina; but her mother stood at some distance from them, so that she could not hear what thev said to her daughter. Then the monk said: "Your mother has recanted, for she has confessed that she was seduced; and will be executed with the sword; and if you will recant too, you shall not die, because you are young yet; but you shall be married and receive a large dowry, and be helped on." But in reply to all this she shook her head. And then the Spaniards also said much to her, that she should recant, and she should save her life. But others said: "Do not tell her this; but say, that if she will renounce her heresy. she shall die as a pious Christian and be executed with the sword." And others said: "She must onlv be made to believe, that she will save her life; when she has recanted she shall die nevertheless." But she shook her head to all this, so that they became discouraged. Then the monk said: "Dear sister, recant, or you will go from this fire into the eternal, upon this I will pledge my soul." In the meantime the mother also was brought upon the scaffold, and placed at the stake. Then Catharina was seen to rejoice greatly; for she found that it was nothing but lies. what they had told her concerning her mother. Then Catharina was also brought upon the scaffold, and she ascended the steps very rapidly, since she, as also the others, had greatly longed for the hour of her redemption; and thus all four were placed to stakes, back to back, so that they could neither see nor nod to one another. While thus standing at the stakes, they smiled and nodded to several yet. Then the Spaniards said: "There are some more of this people; if we only had them too."

There were also on the scaffold the provost and the quartermaster to assist the executioner; and the provost wanted to lay the wood about three or four feet from them, in order to roast them from a distance; but the quartermaster said, that the sentence was to burn them like the first; hence they had hard words. The Spaniards also cried, that they should be put to death slowly. However, the wood at least was laid around them like around the former; but little straw, with which they ignited the wood; in order that they should die the more slowly; however it was soon over. Thus these four offered up their sacrifice, and were burned to ashes, on the 16th of June, A. D. 1571; from whom many took a good example, who recognized them as the true people, and endeavored to follow them, by the grace of God, in a righteous and God fearing life, which these four evinced unto death, and thus confirmed that which they had said and written in prison.