In the year of our Lord sixteen hundred and one it occurred that Johann von Steyn, Count of Witgensteyn, Lord of Hamburg, being a member of the Calvinistic Church, purposed to abolish the Romish and Lutheran doctrine, and at the same time laid his hands on the defenseless sheep of Christ, which were contemptuously called Anabaptists, and put them in prison.

Among these are mentioned by name, Huybert op der Straten, Trijnken his wife, Pieter ten Hove, and Lijsken to Linschoten, which latter, as we have learned, was an aged woman of over seventy years.

The first three mentioned were imprisoned twelve weeks, the latter seventeen days, she having been apprehended much later.

They suffered much temptation, by way of bitter threats as well as by entreaties, in order to cause them to apostatize; but when they (the persecutors) could not destroy their souls, or cause them to apostatize or depart from the truth all four were finally condemned upon a false accusation (namely, that they had been convicted with the holy Scriptures, which was altogether untrue, and that they would nevertheless continue in their deceptive heresy of Anabaptism, etc.) in this manner

That all their property should be forfeited, and that each should be scourged with rods, to the number of about forty stripes, and moreover be forever banished from the country; which was accordingly done.

Thus, say the authors, they stripped these innocent, pious persons, led them around the gallows, and scourged them, spoiled them of their property, and shamefully drove them forth with empty hands, and sent them out of the country. See preface to the old Of f erboeck, of the year 1615, letter iij, Col. 1.

(Martyrs Mirror)