When they had thus closed his mouth, and screwed fast his tongue, the fire with which he was to be offered up being already prepared in the market place, they led him forth, with his hands tied together, from prison, and placed him into a wagon, to convey him to the market place, to the spot where his sacrifice for the word of truth was to take place.
It is said that they took this wagon for the reason that the way that leads from the prison to the market place, could not well be walked, because of the burnt houses which had been set on fire by the Spaniards, at the taking of Antwerp.
When he stepped into the wagon, he saw several persons of his acquaintance, whom he boldly and joyfully beheld, showing by his actions the desire which he had to come to the place where his sacrifice was to take place. He affectionately bowed his head, and greeted divers persons with the head, expressing and manifesting his steadfastness by his countenance and actions, all to the praise of God, who bestows such strength and power upon his saints, as being their protector, refuge, help, power, strength, and strong bulwark in all distress, tribulation, sorrow, and suffering inflicted upon them by the world for the true saving faith in Jesus Christ. Matt. 28:20; Ps. 18:2; Matt. 16:16.
When he had been brought into the market place, near the stake and the fire, he lifted himself up, and being clothed with Christian glory, descended from the wagon, being of good courage in God, strong in faith, and persevering in the conflict. With folded hands, he bowed his knees to the earth, humbly casting his eyes up to heaven, thus preparing himself to worship his Lord and God, and to commend himself to him, even as behooves every Christian believer. Luke 23:46. But when those blood-thirsty men saw this, they could not tolerate or endure it (which they nevertheless permit criminals to do, who are put to death for their evil deeds); but very hurriedly and quickly pulling him up from the ground, they prevented him from calling to God upon his knees, and with great cruelty conducted him to the stake. To suffer all this, he went into the hut (constructed of straw and wood), humbly and meekly stepping to where they placed him at the stake, and made him fast by putting chains around his body, all of which he endured with great steadfastness for the word and truth of Christ. And as he thus stood in the hut, at the stake, they finally kindled the fire, thus burning alive and devouring this lamb, whose body, indeed, was burnt, but whose soul was received into paradise, into joy and blessed rest, because he confessed Christ, who has promised salvation to them that endure.
Thus did this young and pious Christian, aged about twenty-one years, end his life, and offer and deliver up his body for the word of God, in the year 1577, on Derthien-Avondt, and thus he became a witness among the witnesses of Jesus, a confessor among the confessors of Christ, a Christian conqueror among the soldiers of the Lord, a soul among the souls of Christ at rest under the altar, a faithful servant among the servants of Christ, whose reward is the crown of eternal, imperishable life.
Here follow some letters which Hans Bret wrote during his imprisonment.
THE FIRST LETTER OF HANS BRET, WRITTEN ON MONDAY AFTER WHITSUNTIDE, A. D. 1576, AT ANTWERP, IN PRISON, TO HIS DEAR AND BELOVED MOTHER.
Grace and peace from God our heavenly Father, through his only Son Christ Jesus, and the comfort of the Holy Ghost, for the increase of your faith, and to the salvation of your soul, this I wish you, my heartily beloved mother, from the very depth of my soul. Amen.