Hans Misel, in the Year 1571

In the year 1571, Hans Misel, a weaver, who was still a young man, at Langensmeer in Swabia, was asked by some people to read and speak from the Word of the Lord; and as he declared to them the way of the truth, he was betrayed, and reported at Warthausen. The lady who lived there at that time sent her clerk there, who came with servants, surprised the brother, drew his sword, and with the hilt of it struck the brother several times on the heart or breast, berating him fearfully, and saying that he had power to do this and more. He also struck him with the blade of the sword, and said that he had authority to run him through with it and kill him. But the brother did not let himself be intimidated; instead, with gentle words he told the clerk that he should calm himself, and not carry on so. The clerk bound him himself, and they took him with them to Barthausen, and kept him that night in a house, where they reveled and caroused, and made sport of the brother and shamefully treated him, the whole night. When day came, they brought him into the castle, and shut him up in a tower, where many priests came to him, who labored hard with him and tempted him; but all who came to him had to leave him in shame. The executioner also had to do his part to try him; they racked and tortured him severely, but could not move him to renounce his belief or to do anything that was contrary to the faith. When they had finished all their temptations, and he remained steadfast, and would not depart a single step from the way of faith and of the divine truth, the lady of the castle sent for the priests, and said to them that she was a woman, and knew little of how he ought to be dealt with; they should advise her as to what ought to be done with him. Here the lady had hit upon the right counselors, just as though someone were to ask the wolf what ought to be done with the sheep; for they immediately presented to her the imperial law and mandate, and so judged him worthy of death, according to the way of their fathers, who also gave counsel concerning Christ and cried: "Away with him, he is worthy of death; we have a law, and by that law he ought to die." John 19, verses 15 and 7. So it happened that he was sentenced to death; several in the council, however, would not give their voice; but this was of no use, for the devil, who works in the children of unbelief, was master of the game.

Now when he was to be executed in the morning, his friends came in the night, and wanted to help him out of the tower. They dug until they came almost to him, so that he heard them. He warned them that they should not dare do this, since he would not come out to them through the hole; so they had to let it go. And when the sentence had come that he was to be executed, they wanted to give him something to eat first; but he would not eat, and when he heard that his last hour had now come, he asked to be left alone in peace, in a corner for a little while, which they granted him, without knowing why he asked this; however, they had him watched, to see what he would do, and what he intended. He raised his hands to heaven, and offered up an earnest and sincere prayer to God, and also praised God that He had let him see this hour, and had counted him worthy of it; and he prayed that He would give him power and courage for it, so that he might die the death of an upright and manifest witness of God. He then also faithfully thanked God for all the benefits which He had ever shown him, and also prayed that God would help him now in his last hour, which was at hand, and so he commended himself into the hands of the Lord his God.

The executioner said: "This man is bolder than all of us."

When he had finished praying, he came forward again to the people with smiling lips, and was willing to die. The confessor of Warthausen went with him when he was taken out, and wanted him to renounce, and to have mercy on himself. But he said that they should renounce and turn from their whoredom, villainy, and the idolatrous, ungodly life into which they had sunk.

When the executioner brought him to the place where he was to be executed, he said to him that if he would recant, he still had authority to let him go. But he refused, and would seal his faith there with his blood, and as far as he was concerned, he said, he might proceed. So he was beheaded and then burned, and since they could not burn him quickly enough, they cut him into pieces and burned the pieces. When the executioner had struck off his head, so that it lay on the ground, his body still remained upright, with the hands lifted up, as though he were praying, until the executioner pushed him over with his foot. It was also said that his head and hair could not be burned, but that it was found whole and undisfigured in the ashes, and was buried so. This took place on the 13th of December of the said year 1571.

When he was about to be executed, he said that his blood should be seen in the sun. And it came to pass on the third day after, at noon, that the sun appeared blood red, and where it shone through the windows, upon tables and other things, they seemed as though they were standing in the fire, so that the people came together in the streets out of amazement, as those who saw it and are still living can testify.