Hans Staudtach, Antony Keyn, Blasius Beck, and Leonhard Schneider, in the Year 1546

In the year 1546, four brothers, namely, Hans Staudtach of Kaufbeuren, Anthony Keyn, a tailor of Gunzenhausen, Blasius Beck and Leonhard Schneider, both of them also of Kaufbeuren, while on their way, with their wives and children, to the church in Moravia, were arrested in Austria. On the third of August they were brought to Vienna, two and two fettered together, with great chains on their feet, and led through the city like criminals, with their wives and children following after them. They were brought into prison, with their wives and children, and left there for four days. In these four days they were examined, and sorely assailed, whether they would continue in this faith; this they confessed, that with the help and power of God they would do. Then the four brothers were put into another prison. [n677-1] Afterwards they examined them again, and brought their wives and children into the judge's house, but kept the brothers from talking much with them.

On Sunday, the sixteenth of August, many people came to them in prison, and talked with the brothers, and about their wives. But however hard they were pressed to recant, they remained valiant and steadfast, though they threatened to take their children away from them. In the meantime, however, their wives were released, and came to the church. Afterwards much craftiness was used to intimidate them, and to cause them to fall away. Four times they were brought before the authorities at Vienna, also before monks, priests and doctors, whom Christ does not without reason call ravening wolves, of whom we are to beware; for their priests are like wolves, and indeed come in a fair appearance, to devour them; indeed, they would have them all killed and destroyed. Hence it grieves the false prophets to leave anyone pious and unseduced, and therefore they labor much and in many various ways. They have enough who follow the doctrine of their false prophets, and walk after their ungodly and vicious life; they might well leave the pious in peace.

Thus they also tempted these lovers of God, yet could not win them, but were put to shame and reproach; for no one can pluck Christ's own out of His hand. John 10, verse 28. They also read to them the mandate of the king, and threatened them with fire, water and the sword, or that they should be kept on bread and water, and separated, or drowned in the night, like Brother Oswald of Jamnits, as related before. By these things they tried to intimidate them; but there was no intimidating these soldiers and heroes of the truth of God.

On the fifth day after Saint Michael's they were given another hearing, whether they would renounce their faith; if not, they had orders to put them to death by fire, water or the sword. This was the last warning. But when they could accomplish nothing by their threats, they brought all four of them back into the Joppen (a prison). Hans Staudtach was left in prison, Blasius in the woodroom, and Leonhard, with another, in an empty apartment; but afterwards, about All Souls Day, they were put together again.

After all this, since they remained constant and steadfast, and continued to confess that they were going in the true way of the divine truth, which they were willing to seal with their blood, they were condemned to death a little after Saint Martin's day, on the 22nd of November, and handed over to the executioner, who bound them; and in order to avoid too great a stir, and to keep a large crowd of people from coming together, he led them out to the place of execution in the morning, at daybreak.

When they were being led out to the slaughter, they sang boldly and joyfully. A ring was made, as the executioners usually do. The brothers then knelt down and prayed fervently, offering up this burnt offering as their final farewell to the world.

The executioner became sad, acted with reluctance, and was grieved in his heart that he had to carry out this execution. The other children of Pilate also wanted to be innocent, yet they had to do it because of their superiors in authority, and by virtue of their office; but they would much rather have been excused.

They then blessed each other, and encouraged one another to steadfastness, to be strong and of good cheer, saying: "Today we shall be together in the kingdom of our heavenly Father," and so on.

Thus all four were beheaded with the same sword, and undauntedly and boldly gave up their necks for the name of Christ.