PAGE 61

King Ferdinand sent his sheriff and several professors and priests to Falkenstein, with an executioner as an assistant. In the Christmas holidays they started to break down the imprisoned witnesses for the Truth with great cunning, and tortured some on the rack and asked them what their ground and hope was. Then the king gave the clergy the authority to deal with the prisoners as they should deem best. Their decision was that since the prisoners were worthy of death they should be sent to the galleys of the imperial navy to drag out their lives at the galleybenches in suffering and misery.

Thereupon the king's sheriff, together with the marshal called 'Tall Hans' Funfkircher and other horsemen, came to the imprisoned Brethren at Falkenstein. They questioned each brother separately again, but they did not give in, and remained steadfast to the Truth. So they chained them together with iron collars and chains, two by two, and led them away.

In the meanwhile many sisters, their fellow-pilgrims in the faith, were imprisoned in castle Falkenstein just as the men were being taken away to the galleys. Some of them were wives, fiancees and relatives of the Brethren. As they met briefly, they all knelt down to pray to the Father, the almighty God, with earnest intercession, that He should keep and protect their menfolk from all evil and wickedness on the sea, and grant them staunch spirits so that they might remain loyal to the Truth until death.

After the prayer the marshal warned them to prepare to leave. Then they began to take leave one of another with breaking heart but with strong encouragement that everyone might hold fast loyally to the Truth until death. With that, each one commended the other to the gracious protection of God, not knowing whether they should ever see one another in the flesh.

Let each one judge for himself what a serious struggle that was for man and wife so to separate and leave small children behind. Yes, truly, human nature unaided could not have borne it. When the parting took place it was so sorrowful that even the royal marshal and his aides could not keep from weeping.

PAGE 62

At that time marshal Funfkircher ordered that an inscription should be placed over the entrance to the castle stating that so long as Falkenstein had stood, there had never been so many pious people there as at that time.

Altogether ninety brethren were carried away to the galleys. God in His providence made it possible that during the entire long journey, each morning and evening, each one could offer his prayer to God unmolested. So finally they reached the city of Trieste.

But God always keeps His own in remembrance, even in direst need. He put it into the hearts of some in the prison to trust the Lord in confident hope that He would provide for them a way of escape. So they counselled one another in the fear of God and were thoroughly determined to suffer and die for the sake of the Truth rather than to serve in the naval galleys.

In the twelfth night of their imprisonment in Trieste they escaped. They let themselves down over the city wall by means of the very ropes with which they had been led bound to prison. The greater part of them were able to return with joy and happy hearts to the brotherhood in Moravia. But twelve persons were recaptured by the royal forces and were handed over to Admiral Andrea Doria, who sent them to the galleys to be used as oarsmen. But the pious folk risked. their lives and let themselves be beaten rather than put a hand to the oar.