# A Letter From Jaques De Somere, Sent To His Mother, At Ghent. · Page 1 of 4 [Previous page: ANOTHER LETTER OF THE PRISONERS: IN WHICH WE VINDICATE OURSELVES OF THAT WHICH IS REPORTED OF US, AND BRIEFLY NOTICE THE PRINCIPAL POINTS OF OUR FAITH, AS IS STATED MORE FULLY BELOW.](/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-the-prisoners-in-which-we-vindicate-ourselves-of-that-which-is-reported-of-us-and-briefly-notice-the-p/part-3/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: A LETTER FROM JAQUES DE SOMERE, SENT TO HIS MOTHER, AT GHENT.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-from-jaques-de-somere-sent-to-his-mother-at-ghent/part-2/) Venerable and beloved mother, after most humbly commending myself to you, please let me inform you, that we are well, God be praised, even as we, not without great joy, learned from father’s letter, that this is also the case with you. I dare say that I never read a letter from my father without anxiety and fear, until the end of the same assures me of your health, since I, aware of the weakness and infirmity of your nature, and in constant dread, lest you might have fallen into some severe sickness, which would cause me greater grief, than if I myself were in the greatest distress and pain. But God be praised for his goodness, that he does not visit you more grievously, nor lay upon you a greater burden, than you, by his help and the consolation of his word, and the hope of the life to come, are able to bear; and permits me to enjoy the greatest joy which a good child might wish in this world, namely, to see my father and mother attain to a good old age, and bear me such solicitude, love and favor as I could possibly expect from the most solicitous and benevolent parents, for which I owe you eternal gratitude. Further, my beloved mother, as regards the particulars of the execution of the Anabaptists, though I doubt not but you have already heard much concerning it from the accounts of others, and I do not like to write of this matter, of which I can never think without great sadness; yet, since you desire it of me, and I perhaps know more about it than the common people, as I was often with them, and took a memorandum of everything, I would not forbear to write you such information as I have with regard to it; and I will also send you some copies of their confession, upon which they died (though some of them are still imprisoned), together with a supplication, which they presented to Her Majesty, but which was not accepted. The matter was as follows: On Easter-day, the 3d of April, A. D. 1575, there were gathered in a house beyond Aldgate (on the way leading to Mirror Court), thirty Anabaptists, men as well as women, for the purpose of exhortation and prayer. But being discovered of the neighbors, nearly all of them were led from there to prison, with so few beadles, that part of them could easily have escaped, had they felt free in their conscience to run. After they had fallen into the hands of the magistrates, they were brought to the house of the bishop of London, in order to be examined by him (through the mouth, however, of the Dutch and French preachers, since the bishop did not understand their language), concerning their faith, which they delivered in writing, and which was of such a character, that it contained nothing but what I myself would have dared subscribe to, excepting only the article touching the oath, in which they openly confessed that they believed that one might not swear in any wise. Not satisfied with this confession, the bishop laid before them four articles, which they were to sign, or, if they remained obstinate, be burnt alive; declaring that he had received this commission from the Court. The articles were: 1. That they should desist from, renounce and forsake all errors, sects and heresies of the accursed sect of the Anabaptists, and confess that they had been seduced thereto by the devil; and further believe and confess with heart and mouth, that Christ had assumed his flesh and blood from the substance of the flesh and blood of Mary. 2. That infants ought to be baptized. 3. That a Christian might administer the office of magistracy. 4. That a Christian might swear an oath. Thereupon they replied that they could not believe this in their consciences, and that they would hold to their first confession. Hence they were from there conducted back to prison; but on the way ten or twelve of them (seeing in what danger they were, and that they had a good opportunity to escape, since only one or two beadles went with them), escaped, all of whom, however, in a day or two, of their own accord, returned to the prison, partly to release their bail, who were bound in the sum of a hundred pounds; and partly, because the Bishop, as a man of honor, promised them with an oath, that he should release all of them together in four or five days, if they returned; if not, he should keep the others in confinement till Christmas. Shortly after, five of the men (through the much disputing of our Netherlanders, who belonged to the [Calvinistic] church), before they were condemned as heretics became converted. And yet they were made to stand, in St. Paul’s church-yard, in a full assembly of many thousand Englishmen, in front of the pulpit (mark), each with a fagot on his shoulder, as a token that they had merited the fire; and much other loss and ignominy was inflicted upon them, though the bishop had promised them, that he should forthwith acquit them of everything, and release them without any trouble, if they would only sign the four articles; but the contrary was evident. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_967) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: ANOTHER LETTER OF THE PRISONERS: IN WHICH WE VINDICATE OURSELVES OF THAT WHICH IS REPORTED OF US, AND BRIEFLY NOTICE THE PRINCIPAL POINTS OF OUR FAITH, AS IS STATED MORE FULLY BELOW.](/en/stories/mm-another-letter-of-the-prisoners-in-which-we-vindicate-ourselves-of-that-which-is-reported-of-us-and-briefly-notice-the-p/part-3/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: A LETTER FROM JAQUES DE SOMERE, SENT TO HIS MOTHER, AT GHENT.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-from-jaques-de-somere-sent-to-his-mother-at-ghent/part-2/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-a-letter-from-jaques-de-somere-sent-to-his-mother-at-ghent/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+A+Letter+From+Jaques+De+Somere%2C+Sent+To+His+Mother%2C+At+Ghent.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+4&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AA+Letter+From+Jaques+De+Somere%2C+Sent+To+His+Mother%2C+At+Ghent.+%C2%B7+Page+1+of+4%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-a-letter-from-jaques-de-somere-sent-to-his-mother-at-ghent%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-a-letter-from-jaques-de-somere-sent-to-his-mother-at-ghent%0A%0ADate+currently+shown%3A+16th+century+%28source+section%29%0A%0A%23%23+Correction+or+addition%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Sources+and+evidence%0APlease+include+book%2Fpage+references%2C+archive+links%2C+or+first-hand+documentation.%0A%0A%0A%0A%23%23+Image+credit+%28if+applicable%29%0ACreator%2C+source%2C+and+permission+or+public-domain+basis.%0A%0A%0A%0ASubmitted+for+review%3B+this+issue+does+not+publish+changes+automatically.)