# Four Friends Offered Up In Maestricht;—Arent Van Essen; Ursel His Wife; Neeltgen, An Old Woman; And Trijntgen, Her Daughter, In The Year 1570.

1570 · Historical source

Source: Martyrs’ Mirror. Original heading: FOUR FRIENDS OFFERED UP IN MAESTRICHT;—ARENT VAN ESSEN; URSEL HIS WIFE; NEELTGEN, AN OLD WOMAN; AND TRIJNTGEN, HER DAUGHTER, IN THE YEAR 1570.

Source heading; not independently verified

During the time of freedom following the destruction
of the images, the church at Maestricht grew
and flourished, increasing in number. But when the
Duke of Alva came into the country, many fled out
of the city whithersoever they best could: some,
however, remained, among whom there was also a
brother who was an elder and also a school teacher.
His name was Arent van Essen, and he had a wife
whose name was Ursel. In the same house with
them there lived another couple, of whom the wife’s
name was Trijntgen; and the name of her mother,
an old women of about seventy-five years, was
Neeltgen. These persons having been betrayed and
reported to the authorities, one of the burgomasters
of the city, a man of furious disposition, came violently,
about twelve o’clock in the night, with his
servants, called beadles, to the house of the schoolmaster,
and with great noise apprehended this man
Arent, and the latter was led in the night to the
council house, called the Landskroon. About an
hour after, the burgomaster with his beadles again
went to the house of the aforesaid schoolmaster, to
apprehend two women yet, whom he had not seized
before. Arriving there he also found Neeltgen the
old woman, who had come to see how it was with
her daughter Trijntgen and the others; for she had
heard that Arent had been taken away and imprisoned.
He also apprehended these three, and
took them likewise to the Landskroon, to the man,
so that in the morning all four were together, rejoicing
together in God, and comforting one another.

When they were brought before the lords, they
each separately freely confessed their faith (1 Peter
3:15), and that they had received baptism upon
their faith, and what else belongs to godly doctrines;
in which, it seems, Ursel, though weak, according
to the flesh, was not the most timid; for they separated
her from the rest and delivered her to the
lords (that is, to the Bailiff and the judges), who
judge in cases of capital punishment. And thus she
was taken to the Dinghuys, a place thus called;
where she was greatly harassed with many threats,
all of which she meekly bore and suffered. Thus
it went also with her husband, Arent, whom they
likewise delivered to the lords, and brought him
to the prisoners’ gate, which is the highest prison,
where also manifold wiles were employed to cause
him to apostatize.

When this old woman Neeltgen and her daughter
Trijntgen, were also delivered to the lords, and conducted
to the Dinghuys, and came into the street
on their way thither, both of them being joyful and
of good courage, Trijntgen for joy began to sing,
thus she was kindled in the Lord.

During their imprisonment in the Dinghuys they
were frequently assailed by the lords, and also by
monks and priests, who sought to move them to renounce
their faith; but God preserved his sheep
from the terrible rage of the wolves. After this they
began first to torture Arent. Yea, it was said, that
he was seven times severely tortured, so that he fell
into despondency in consequence of all these tortures:
but the Lord extended to him his hand,
strengthened him, and gave him new courage, so
that he manfully fought through, as we shall hear.
Ursel his wife was likewise brought from the Dinghuys
to the prisoners’ gate, where she exhorted her
husband not a little, to the strengthening of his
heart. There Ursel was also twice tortured on the
rack; but she faithfully adhered to the truth. But
it did not stop with this torturing in her case; for the
executioner tied her hands together, and drew her
up, and as she was hanging there he cut open her
chemise with a knife baring her back, and severely
scourged her with rods; this was done twice in one
day. (It was said that a Jesuit advised this scourging.)
But all this was patiently borne by Ursel,
who, as said above, was also tender of body, so that
before her imprisonment, she had to turn her stockings
inside out, and put them on and wear them
thus, because she could not bear the seams of the
stockings inside on her limbs; but now, through the
help of God, she was able to endure torturing and
scourging. Neeltgen the old woman was also led to
the torture, and when she came to the rack or ladder,
she went and lay down upon it of her own
accord; but the lords considering her age and feebleness,
she was not tortured. They said to her: “It
is not your first time, namely, that she lay on the
rack; for they knew that she had also once in her
youth been imprisoned and tortured for the truth,
from which imprisonment she had been delivered in
a remarkable manner. But her daughter Trijntgen
was treated far less gently, for she was tortured very
severely; and when she was taken from the rack almost
in a fainting condition, she was laid upon a bed
for a little while; but as soon as she was recovered a
little she had to go on the rack again. And when
she was tortured severely she cried aloud: “O
Lord, succor me, and keep my lips.” For she was
severely tortured, that she should name others; for
they were thirsting for more blood. And God heard
her prayer, and kept her lips, so that they could
obtain nothing from her which implicated her neighbor.
When Trijntgen was tortured the last time,
she said: “I praise and thank the Lord.” Mother
Neeltgen, who was not far off, hearing her daughter
speak, asked: “Is that my child?” Hearing this,
Trijntgen replied: “Yes, my mother;” and fell on
her neck and kissed her.

On the 9th of January, in the year 1570, Arent
and Ursel his wife were notified in the name of the
lords, that each was to be put to a stake and burned,
in which message they greatly rejoiced, because they
were to be counted worthy to die for the name of
Christ; and were full of joy that day and night,
thanking and praising God, and thus waited for the
day of their redemption.

In the morning a town beadle came to Ursel, and
enjoined her in the name of his lords, that she should
not speak in the street on her way to execution;
this the beadle said in the presence of the lords.
Ursel said to the lords: “And may I not sing a little,
806
and say something now and then?” But this
they would not permit her, and said among themselves:
“We hear now what her intentions are.”
They further said to the executioner: “Do as you
are commanded, and stop her mouth.” The executioner
had a piece of wood, which he put in Ursel’s
mouth, and tied up her mouth with a cloth. And
as they had been taken back from the prisoners’
gate, where they were tortured, to the Dinghuys,
whence they were to go to execution, and where
also Neeltgen and Trijntgen were still imprisoned,
Trijntgen, when Ursel was led away from the Dinghuys,
had come to a window above, and when she
saw Ursel being led forth to death, she cried aloud
over all the people, saying to Ursel: “Dear sister,
contend manfully, for the crown of life is prepared
for you.” Thus Ursel, with her mouth gagged,
went to the Vrijthof (the place where she was to be
offered up), the people complaining greatly, because
her mouth had been gagged so that she could not
speak one word.

When Ursel arrived at the scaffold which had
been erected, she ascended it quietly as a lamb, and
went directly into the hut, and the executioner immediately
set fire to the same; and thus she was
burned to ashes, and became a burnt offering unto
the Lord.

Very shortly after, Arent, Ursel’s husband, was
also notified to prepare himself for death, which he
willingly received, and prepared himself accordingly.
Before he was led forth to death, they also
stopped and tied up his mouth, which presented
a pitiful sight. They had erected a scaffold in another
place than where Ursel had been put to death,
namely, in the Friday or cattle market, near the
Poel. What the lords sought by putting them to
death separately was not really known; but common
report had it, that the lords did it in order that
Arent and Ursel might not derive any comfort from
each other. When Arent was thus led, with his
mouth gagged, to this place, a joyful and undismayed
mind could be perceived. Having ascended
the scaffold, he fell upon his knees, and fervently
offered up his prayer.

He then arose and went into the hut, where he
divested himself of part of his clothing; but as this
took up some time, the Bailiff, who was present on
horseback, called out to the executioner:. “Go on
with your work;” which the latter immediately did,
and lighted the fire, and thus this martyr was likewise
burned to ashes, as a witness of Jesus Christ.

Above we said, that the old woman Neeltgen,
and Trijntgen her daughter, remained still imprisoned
in the Dinghuys. On the 23d of January of
the same year, these two also received notice from
the lords, that they should have to die as the others;
which notice they so joyfully received, that time
seemed very long to them before that day arrived.
For they sought rest above in heaven with their
dear heavenly Father, who, though he suffers his
own to be tempted here, yet does never depart with
his mercy from them, but delivers them out of all
their distress. Hence, they were rejoiced in the
Lord above measure, thanked and praised him the
whole night, and thus waited longingly for the day
of their redemption. In the morning, when they
were to be led to execution, the executioner put
a piece of wood into the mouth of each, and tied
it up with a cloth; and thus they joyfully went (escorted)
to the Vrijthof. On the way Trijntgen put
her hands up to the cloth with which her mouth
was tied, and began to draw it away and to say
something, and to call out why they died. But this
they would in no wise tolerate; hence the executioner
went up to her and laid his hand upon her
mouth, and ordered her to go into the hut; for
most of this was done on the scaffold. And thus
Trijntgen and her dear mother were led into the
hut, and both burned to ashes, having commended
their souls into the hands of God; which took place
on the 24th of January, A. D. 1569.





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