# Hans Misel, A. D. 1571. · Page 1 of 2

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In the year 1571, Hans Misel, a weaver, who was
yet a young man, at Langensmeer in Swabia, was
asked by some persons to read and speak from the
word of the Lord; and as he declared to them the
way of the truth, he was betrayed, and reported at
Warthausen. The lady who then resided there, sent
her clerk thither, who came with servants, surprised
the brother, drew his sword, and with the hilt of
the same several times struck the brother on the
heart or breast, berating him fearfully, and saying,
he had power to do this and more. He also struck
him with the blade of the sword, and said he had
authority to thrust him through with it, and kill
him. But the brother did not allow himself to be
intimidated, but with gentle words said to the clerk,
that he should calm himself, and not carry on so.
The clerk bound him himself, and they took him
with them to Barthausen, and kept him that night
in a house, where they reveled and caroused, and
made sport of and ignominiously treated the brother,
the whole night. When day came, they conducted
him into the castle, and confined him in a tower,
where many priests came to him, who greatly labored
with and tempted him; but all that came to
him had to retire from him with shame. The executioner
also had to do his part to try him; they
greatly racked and tortured him, but could not
move him to renounce his belief or to do anything
that was contrary to the faith. When they had finished
all their temptations, and he remained steadfast,
and would not depart a single step from the
way of faith and of the divine truth, the lady of the
castle sent for the priests, and said to them, that she
was a woman, and knew little how he ought to be
dealt with; they should advise her as to what ought
to be done with him. Here the lady had hit upon
the right counselors, even as though one were to
ask the wolf what ought to be done with the sheep;
for they immediately presented to her the imperial
law and mandate, and thus adjudged him worthy of
death, according to the way of their fathers, who
also gave counsel concerning Christ and cried: Away
with him, he is worthy of death; we have a law,
and by the same he ought to die. John 19:15,7.
Thus it happened that he was sentenced to death;
several in the council however would not give their
voice; but this was of no avail, the devil, who
works in the children of unbelief, was master of the
game.

Now when he was to be executed in the morning,
his friends came in the night, and wanted to help
him out of the tower. They dug until they came
almost to him, so that he heard them. He warned
them, that they should not dare do this, since he
should not come out to them through the hole;
hence they had to let it go. And as the sentence
had come, that he was to be executed, they wanted
to give him something to eat first; but he would not
eat, and when he heard that his last hour had now
come, he requested to be left alone in peace, in a
corner for a little while, which they granted him,
without knowing why he requested this; however,
they had him watched, to see what he should do,
and what he intended. He raised his hands to
heaven, and offered up an earnest and sincere prayer
to God, and also praised God, that he had permitted
him to see this hour, and had counted him worthy
thereto; and prayed that he would give him power
and courage for it, that he might die the death of an
upright and manifest witness of God. He then also
faithfully thanked God for all the benefits which he
had ever shown him, and also prayed that God
would assist him now in this last hour, which was at
hand, and thus commended himself into the hands
of the Lord his God.

The executioner said: “This man is bolder than
we all.”

When he had finished praying, he came forward
again to the people with smiling lips, and was willing
to die. The confessor of Warthausen went with
him when he was taken out, and wanted that he
should renounce, and have mercy on himself. But
he said, that they should renounce and turn from
their whoredom, villiany, and the idolatrous, ungodly
life, into which they were sunken.

When the executioner brought him to the place
where he was to be executed, he said to him, that if
852
he would recant, he still had authority to let him go.
But he refused, and would there seal his faith with
his blood, and so far as he was concerned, he said,
he might proceed. Thus he was beheaded and then
burnt, and as they could not burn him quickly
enough, they cut him into pieces and burned the
pieces. When the executioner had struck off his
head, so that the same lay on the ground, his body
still remained erect, with the hands uplifted, as
though he were praying, till the executioner pushed
him over with his foot. It was also said that his
head and hair could not be burned, but that it was
found entire and undisfigured in the ashes, and was
thus buried. This took place on the 13th of December
of said year 1571.



## Original source

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