Abraham Picolet, Henderick van Etten, and Maeyken van der Goes, in the Year 1569

At Antwerp there was a man named Abraham Picolet, who was very closely acquainted with Henderick van Etten, born at Breda, and with a certain Herman N. Now it happened that when this Henderick intended to go home, he asked his companion that once more before his departure they might enjoy and gladden themselves together (walking) by singing and speaking of the word of the Lord, as a farewell to the good fellowship they had had together in the Lord. But since there was a great persecution at that time under the government of the Duke of Alva, these two young men, while walking in a forest near Wilrijck, close to Antwerp, were arrested by the bailiff of Borgerhout, who searched them; and finding several books in their possession, such as a New Testament and others, he examined them strictly, and asked them where they had last been to confession and to the sacrament. Abraham then answered that it had been in Italy. He further asked how long ago it had been, and Abraham replied: "Four years." Learning these and other things from them, on the second day of Whitsuntide he brought them as prisoners to Antwerp. But since the aforesaid Herman was not firmly built upon the cornerstone Christ, his building did not stand, for his sandy foundation could not endure these storms. When he was examined, he confessed that he had been to confession and to the sacrament the previous Easter, though this was not true. And to confirm it, the parish priest, or pastor, of Saint George's church testified to it, and by this means he was released from prison. But the other two, holding to their faith, had many conflicts and disputations during their long imprisonment with the blind sophists, who went to great pains and labor to draw them away from the truth. But since they fled for refuge to the Captain of the faith, they were not forsaken; instead their assurance grew stronger and stronger, so that they constantly longed for the day of their deliverance. Romans 7, verse 24. They were also very diligent, constantly edifying their neighbors by writing an exhortation, so that by their letters and their steadfastness in the faith they gained some even while in their bonds. Philemon, verse 10. After they had lain in confinement for a while, the tyrants, seeing that there was no hope of moving them from the truth, went further, to deprive them of their lives; and since the bailiff held his court near the Kroonenburgh gate, he had them brought there twice before his judges. But as this led to no result, they were put a third time into a wagon and so placed before the judges again. But as they were of good cheer and strong in the faith, Abraham said, as he stepped to the wagon: "Let no one among you," says Peter, "suffer as a thief or a robber, or as one who seeks other men's property; but if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God on this behalf." First Peter 4, verses 15 and 16.

Henderick spoke very little, yet nothing but boldness could be seen in him. As they stood before the judges, their sentence was read to them, namely, that they should be burned alive. When the reading of the sentence was finished, Abraham said that he thanked the lords for having been troubled with him, and that he prayed God to enlighten them. They were then put back into the wagon and brought to the prison, where some more God fearing persons were confined. Of these the margrave had a woman sentenced to the same death, namely, Maeyken van der Goes, who valiantly followed her husband, Jasper the Taschrinekmaecker, who had been offered up before. [n977-1] So the tyrants satisfied their desire on these three lambs for the slaughter, and had them burned alive the next day, after they had fastened their tongues out of their mouths with screwplates to keep them from speaking. But in all this they valiantly overcame through Christ, who was their strength; and they went boldly onward with Joshua and Caleb, to possess the land of promise, to the comfort and strengthening of many witnesses who saw it. After they were burned, the bodies of the two men were given as food to the birds (Psalm 79, verse 2) on the way from Wilrijck, because they had been arrested under that seignioralty.

These two valiant heroes and champions, though they had not yet received water baptism upon confession of their faith, showed that they had nevertheless been baptized by Christ with the Holy Ghost and with fire.

They wrote many letters full of comfort and earnest exhortations, especially Henderick, who, having formerly been a soldier, earnestly exhorted the brothers and sisters to fight bravely in the spiritual war, to keep good watch, and to persevere to the end, so that they might receive from the spiritual captain Jesus Christ, as wages and reward, the crown of eternal life. But all these letters have remained undiscovered, because of the severe persecution; only one, by Abraham Picolet, has come into our hands, which we have added here for the satisfaction of the sincere reader.