Christian Langedul, Cornelis Claess, Mattheus de Vick, and Hans Symons, in the Year 1567

In the year of our Lord 1567, on a Sunday morning, the 10th of August, Christian Langedul went out to take a letter to his brother R. L., and then went on to a place called the Schelleken, where he had been summoned to help settle a dispute between two persons. First Corinthians 6, verse 5.

This meeting had been spied out, and a captain named Lamotte (who was in Antwerp at that time) came there, pretending to look for some of his soldiers. Seeing the assembly, he had his armed soldiers, who were waiting for it, occupy the house, and he immediately sent his servant boy for the Margrave. In the meantime Christian spoke with the captain in French, to show him why they had come together, and while he did so some of the assembled company escaped through a back door.

When the Margrave arrived on horseback and entered the house with his people, he took the rest prisoners and marched them off to prison. There they spent the time in great tribulation and patience until the next day, when they were examined about their faith, which four of them boldly confessed, namely, the already named Christian Langedul, Cornelis Claess, Mattheus de Vick, and Hans Symons. They were then so cruelly tortured and so pitifully treated that they did not fear death as much as they feared the torture, as Christian mentions in a letter to his wife.

Having spent over a month in great longing, they were finally sentenced to death. When they received word that they were to die, they were bold and of good cheer; Christian, however, grieved greatly over his wife and children (as he had done throughout his imprisonment, but especially on this last night), and their sorrow was a great grief to his heart.

On the 13th of September, which was a Saturday, early in the morning, these four friends were brought out and, coupled together two by two, led to the great market place in front of the city hall, where a circle of soldiers had been formed. In the middle there was a hut with four stakes, to which they were tied. Hans Symons and Mattheus went first, and then Cornelis and Christian. As he went, Christian said to the people: "If we had been willing to speak lies, we would have escaped this." Mattheus said: "Citizens, what we suffer here is for the truth, and because we live according to the word of God." Hans Symons urged his brothers not to fear those who kill the body, but him who has power to cast the soul into damnation. And so they came to the place where they were to be offered up. There the executioner's assistant first took Christian and placed him at a stake in the hut, from where he called to his brothers who were still outside, urging them to contend valiantly for the truth, and then they gave one another the last kiss of peace. After that Cornelis was also placed at a stake, then Mattheus, and finally Hans Symons. The drums were beaten, so that they should not be heard to speak. The executioner strangled them, and then set fire to the hut, and so these four friends came to a blessed end, according to the words of the Lord: "He who endures to the end shall be saved." Matthew 10, verse 22.