Martyrs Mirror 1165Further Observation

The oldest son of the afore mentioned martyress, named Adriaen Wens, aged about fifteen years, could not stay away from the place of execution on the day on which his dear mother was offered up; hence he took his youngest little brother, named Hans (or Jan) Mattheus Wens, who was about three years old, upon his arm and went and stood with him somewhere upon a bench, not far from the stakes erected, to behold his mother's death.

But when she was brought forth and placed at the stake, he lost consciousness, fell to the ground, and remained in this condition until his mother and the rest were burnt. Afterwards, when the people had gone away, having regained consciousness, he went to the place where his mother had been burnt, and hunted in the ashes, in which he found the screw with which her tongue had been screwed fast, which he kept in remembrance of her.

There are at present, 1659, several grandchildren (well known to us) still living of this pious martyress, who are named after her.

Touching the others, her fellow believers, who were put to death with her, we are not able, because it is so long ago, to give their names, but it appears to us, that they are those who are mentioned in the next following account (that is, the women*) since it is stated of them, that they were, on the same day, namely the sixth of October, 1573, also put to death, at Antwerp, by fire. This by way of notice.