Further Observation Concerning the Death of Jan Wouterss van Kuyck And…

When these two persons were led out to die, the hall bell was rung (as was generally done at executions carried out in the name of the city), and because of this a great crowd of the common people gathered at the place of execution.

The gates of the city were closed, or at least guarded, so that no one could get out or in except with the consent of those who kept watch there; and their names were written down after they had stated where they came from and where they were going.

When they had come to the place of execution, which was on the northwest side of the city, close by the water's edge, and had climbed the height, or scaffold, some among the bystanders called to these two valiant persons with a good intention, and comforted them, because of their courage, in their approaching death. Jan Wouterss turned to them and urged them to amend their life, and to accept the true faith, declaring that they were both of good cheer and longed for this holy sacrifice.

Then he was harshly reproved by the underbailiff, which displeased many, even though they had not attained to the true enlightenment.

Both of them were then stripped of their outer garments and also of their shoes, which were thrown among the common people, but were picked up and taken away by a certain brother named Dirck Wouterss.

At once Adriaenken Jans was placed at the stake first, and strangled without delay; seeing this and recognizing her, a certain sister of the church, whose name is well known, and who had come in the market boat from Rotterdam, fainted away, and so could not see the death of Jan Wouterss that followed.

This took place as already stated. In the meantime the hall bell was still rung, until about the time that the (so-called) justice was finished.

NOTE. We went to no little trouble to obtain, at the archives of this city of Dortrecht, the old records of their examinations and death sentences, but we were not able to get them, as they no longer exist; nor were they, as it appears, ever entered in the ordinary's book of criminal sentences, which we searched for this purpose. It is our opinion that these sentences were simply put on loose sheets of paper and so read in court and then destroyed, so that no remembrance of it should remain, as it seemed that the city would soon change her government and religion, as actually took place about three months afterward, through the arrival of William the First, Prince of Orange.

Nevertheless, we are not without other legal testimony about this matter.

Johan van Beverwijck, first physician and judge of the city of Dortrecht, writes about it, in the history attached to his description of Dortrecht, in the Dort edition, page 348, for the year 1572, as follows

"In the city proper there was imprisoned, accused as a heretic, a man of blameless life and conduct, as I learned from those with whom he lived, by the name of Jan van Kuyck Wouterss, a skillful writer upon glass and painter.

"The authorities, seeing the disposition of the people, were not in haste with his trial; indeed, the bailiff, Jan van Drenckwaert Boudewijnss, who was still young and beardless, had himself painted by him, in the attitude of Solomon, where he pronounces his first sentence.

"But the monks did nothing but preach vehemently against this slackness, and did not hesitate to proclaim from the pulpit that the bailiff had arrested him merely to have himself painted by him.

"So this poor man, after many tortures inflicted on him in order to force from him the names of his master and comrades, was burned on the 28th of March, in the year 1572, on the New Fortification, together with Adriaenken Jans, a woman from Molenaersgraef." Thus far, Johan van Beverwijck.

So the account of the death of these persons is certain and reliable, nor is it doubted by anyone that we have ever heard here in this city; the well-disposed will therefore be satisfied with it.

For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Second Corinthians 4, verse 17.