I, Joriaen Simons, your dear brother, and my dear fellow prisoners, wish you every good thing, and we seek the best with all our heart.
As we, through the secretary of the city of Haarlem, have come into possession of the sentence of death passed upon the aforementioned friends Joriaen Simons and Clement Dirks, we deem it well, here to adduce the same, so that every one may be fully assured with regard to the foregoing account. It reads (except the title) as follows:
_Sentence of death of Joriaen Simons of Hallmen, and Clement Dirks of Haarlem._
Whereas Joriaen Simons, of Hallmen, in Friesland, and Clement Dirks, of Haarlem, both weavers, and now prisoners, have confessed, without torture and iron bonds, to have been rebaptized, and to hold most pernicious views with regard to the worthy, holy sacraments of the altar and confession, and to the circumstances and ceremonies of the holy church, and have also undertaken, said Joriaen to sell and distribute divers false books, and Clement to read and teach them, and since both continue stubborn, obstinate and hardened in said errors and pernicious views, therefore, the lords of the court, having heard the address and conclusion made by Pieter van Zouteland, Bailiff of this city, against and concerning these persons, pursuant to the decrees and edicts of his Royal Majesty, last confirmed by his Royal Majesty, our gracious lord, have condemned said Joriaen Simons of Hallmen, and Clement Dirks, as rebaptized heretics and disturbers of the common peace and of the Christian religion, and hereby sentence them, each to be placed at a stake, and executed with fire, pursuant to the aforesaid decrees and edicts, and declare the entire property of said Joriaen, and the property of said Clement Dirks to the sum of sixty pounds, and no more, if it exceed said sum, confiscated and forfeited, according to the privilege of this city, for the benefit of his Royal Majesty. Thus resolved, the 26th of April, A. D. 1557, by Joost van Hitgem, and Dirk van Berkerve, Burgomasters, Wilm Harmans Ramp, Jan Koninks, Jan Matthijss, Jan Raet, and Adriaen Willems, Judges, and pronounced in the court the same day, in the presence of the Bailiff and the aforementioned Judges.
Extracted from the first book of criminal records, beginning the 29th of November 1539, and ending the 27th of October 1582, in the keeping of the secretary of the city of Haarlem, with which book this copy is found to agree.
By me, the undersigned secretary of said city, the 10th of July, A. D. 1659.