# A Letter From Ydse Gaukes, Skipper, Which He Wrote In Prison, At Deventer, To His Brother, And To The Friends, According To The Spirit. · Page 2 of 2 [Previous page: A LETTER FROM YDSE GAUKES, SKIPPER, WHICH HE WROTE IN PRISON, AT DEVENTER, TO HIS BROTHER, AND TO THE FRIENDS, ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-from-ydse-gaukes-skipper-which-he-wrote-in-prison-at-deventer-to-his-brother-and-to-the-friends-according-to-th/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THE SECOND LETTER OF YDSE GAUKES.](/en/stories/mm-the-second-letter-of-ydse-gaukes/) They then drew me up, about a foot from the ground, and in this manner left me suspended. I suffered great pain; I had intended not to open my mouth, but I cried out thrice, and then kept silence. This is only child’s play, they said, and letting me down again they placed me in a chair, and neither asked nor said anything to me. I had an iron bolt with two rings on my feet, and they tied three cannon balls to the rings. When they drew me up again, a Spaniard with a gold chain wanted to strike me in the face, but he could not. While thus suspended, I worked hard and drew one foot through the ring; then the whole weight was on one leg. They would have tied it again, but I forced it through. Then they all laughed, and I had great pain. Then they placed me in a chair, and I named several persons whom I thought they knew, for 847 they could name others to me. Concerning Claes Opreyder I have no certainty; for one says this, and another that. I hope by the grace of the Lord to give my life for it; I say, by the grace of the Lord. My mind is still unchanged; I pray the Lord night and day, to give me strength. Do you also heartily pray the Lord for me; for the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man availeth much. James 5:16. Afterwards I had great conflict from my wife, because she frequently sent monks to me; but God helped me. After that I was brought above before the bishop and the pastor, and they talked much with me, that I must believe more than was written in the Gospel. “For,” said they, “how do you know that I am a man?” I said: “How should I not know that?” “Where is it written,” said they, “and in what chapter?” And they also asked how I knew that she was my wife; and other such sophistries, but little from the Scriptures. Then I went back to my castle, in which I had to be confined. My mother also visited me once; I greatly pitied the woman. I said that God would comfort her. Then they said, it was the last day of grace. On the same day the bishop made an exhortation to the apostates. Then came the superior of the Franciscans and said: “I run down here for your sake, it was the last day of grace, but God’s grace is always open.” After the exhortation was over, they took me above, where stood my wife, crying bitterly; but I said: “We must not forsake God.” “You are not to forsake God,” said the bishop, and she wept much. But turning my heart to God, I thought, the suffering after this life would be too long. Katelijntgen was also greatly tortured, and drawn out and suspended with two irons to her legs. Then came the executioner, and said that though the woman had been drawn limb from limb, she would not have said one word; this was a joy for me to hear. Trijntgen, too, was subjected to many assaults, by comfort and promises, and by threats that she should be severely tortured. They compared her to a dog, who, they said, was better than she. The Lord helped her. But (as a warning) she was not prudent in speaking; for, the pastor speaking of the Old Testament, she would not listen to it, which was speaking foolishly on her part; but she wanted to adhere to the New Testament. This Gijsbert told me, and he says that he is innocent with regard to us, for there were read to him at least a hundred [names] from different places; and through him I obtained these [writing] materials. And, dear brother, see to my poor little orphans. I wish all the godfearing the fear of the Lord. Written in great fear and distress. I commend you to the Lord; take good heed to yourself. Written by me, your dear brother, from prison, the twentieth day of our imprisonment. Ydse Gaukes. ## Original source [Read this passage on Project Gutenberg](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/65855/pg65855-images.html#Page_847) [Edition details](https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/65855) [Previous page: A LETTER FROM YDSE GAUKES, SKIPPER, WHICH HE WROTE IN PRISON, AT DEVENTER, TO HIS BROTHER, AND TO THE FRIENDS, ACCORDING TO THE SPIRIT.](/en/stories/mm-a-letter-from-ydse-gaukes-skipper-which-he-wrote-in-prison-at-deventer-to-his-brother-and-to-the-friends-according-to-th/) · [Book contents](/en/sources/martyrs-mirror/#book-contents) · [Next page: THE SECOND LETTER OF YDSE GAUKES.](/en/stories/mm-the-second-letter-of-ydse-gaukes/) --- Page: https://history.truechristian.church/en/stories/mm-a-letter-from-ydse-gaukes-skipper-which-he-wrote-in-prison-at-deventer-to-his-brother-and-to-the-friends-according-to-th/part-2/ [Contribute a correction or addition](https://github.com/trueChristian/history.truechristian.church/issues/new?title=Correction%3A+A+Letter+From+Ydse+Gaukes%2C+Skipper%2C+Which+He+Wrote+In+Prison%2C+At+Deventer%2C+To+His+Brother%2C+And+To+The+Friends%2C+According+To+The+Spirit.+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+2&body=%23%23+Page+or+topic%0AA+Letter+From+Ydse+Gaukes%2C+Skipper%2C+Which+He+Wrote+In+Prison%2C+At+Deventer%2C+To+His+Brother%2C+And+To+The+Friends%2C+According+To+The+Spirit.+%C2%B7+Page+2+of+2%0A%0APage%3A+https%3A%2F%2Fhistory.truechristian.church%2Fen%2Fstories%2Fmm-a-letter-from-ydse-gaukes-skipper-which-he-wrote-in-prison-at-deventer-to-his-brother-and-to-the-friends-according-to-th%2Fpart-2%2F%0A%0ARecord%3A+mm-a-letter-from-ydse-gaukes-skipper-which-he-wrote-in-prison-at-deventer-to-his-brother-and-to-the-friends-according-to-th--b00007-o000000%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.)