How our Brothers and other Religious were driven from the land by reason
of the Interdict.
In the year of the Lord 1429, the strife between them that followed
Sueder and them that clave to Rodolph--who had been chosen to be
Bishop--still continued, and heavy threats were made against the Regulars
in that they obeyed the letter of the Apostolic See and the commandments
of Sueder, Bishop of Utrecht. And since they would not consent to the
appeal of Rodolph, nor maintain his cause, they were driven either to
begin again to sing the services of the church or to depart from the
country, they and all their company.
Then did the Priors take counsel with their congregations, and they chose
rather to give place to the people that were enraged against them, and to
be exiles for justice' sake than to consent to such commandments to the
scandal of all the devout, for these had already gone away from a great
part of the country, leaving their own houses and their native land.
Therefore, when this grievous choice was made known before the Fathers
and Brothers of our House, there was but one opinion amongst all, namely,
that they must prepare to sojourn in a strange land and so keep obedience
to the Apostolic See, but that they should leave in the monastery certain
of their household that were Lay Brothers, Converts and Donates, who
might keep the House. Thus were the Brothers driven forth, and they
departed publicly before sunset on the Feast of St. Barnabas the Apostle.
Moreover the Brothers of Windesem with their household went forth toward
Northorn, and they of Bethlehem in Zwolle went over the Yssel to the
district of Geldria. But the Brothers of Mount St. Agnes abode at
Hasselt for the first night, and on the next day they took ship for
Frisia meaning to go to their Brothers at Lunenkerc, to help and comfort
that House which they had begun to reform. And by the help of God, while
many of our Brothers sojourned there, the House soon came to be well
ordered. There were together in the hired ship in which they crossed
over twenty-four of our household, both Clerks and Lay Brothers, and
these abode three years in Lunenkerc for the name of Christ and the
Church of God; and the exile from their own land, which they took
patiently, bore notable fruit.
These are the names of our Brothers and the others of our household, both
Clerks and Laics, who were driven from the land of Utrecht and from our
monastery for their obedience in the matter of the Interdict which they
observed for more than a year by command of the Apostolic See.
First our venerable Father the Prior, who was called Brother Theodoric of
Kleef; the second was Brother Thomas of Kempen, the Sub-Prior; the third,
Brother John Ummen, who was stricken in years and weak; the fourth,
Brother Gerard Wesep; the fifth, Brother John Benevolt; the sixth,
Brother Wernbold Staelwijc; the seventh, Brother John Bouman; the eighth,
Brother Henry Cremer; the ninth, Brother Henry of Deventer; the tenth,
Brother Dirk Veneman; the eleventh, Brother Helmic; the twelfth, Brother
Christian; the thirteenth, Brother James Cluyt; the fourteenth, Brother
Gerard Smullinc; the fifteenth, Brother Cesarius, a Novice; the
sixteenth, Brother Goswin, son of Pistor, a Novice.
Likewise there were two Converts, namely, Brother Arnold Droem and
Brother James Ae; three Clerks that had not yet received the Religious
habit, namely, Hermann Craen, Gosswin ten Velde, and Arnold ten Brincke;
two Donates named Gerard Hombolt and Laurence, and also John Koyte, a
guest and familiar friend of our House. All of these were received for
the first night as the guests of the Sisters at Hasselt, who showed great
charity and humanity towards us, and they lamented and wept bitterly that
we were driven out with violence. But since all the Brothers could not
find room nor beds wherein to sleep, these Sisters had compassion upon us
and brought us their own bedding wherewith they prepared a place for us
to sleep in the stable on the hay and straw, and here we all slept
commodiously enough. Many of the citizens in Hasselt also had compassion
upon us and wept, but certain envious folk that thought ill of us mocked
our Brothers and spake lightly of them, but of these divers did afterward
repent. On the second day, when morning came, we hired a small ship and
came by way of the sea to Frisia, the land we sought, having taken
sustenance by the way; but we used both sails and oars and gat us across
not without great hazard for the wind was contrary. Thus we went thither
for the name of Christ and to keep obedience to the Holy Roman Church,
the which we all desired to obey, and we committed ourselves to God Who
showed forth His mercy toward us, and snatching us from the peril of the
sea brought us safely to our Brothers in Lunenkerc.
In the year 1430, on the 19th day of December, being the day before the
Vigil of St. Thomas the Apostle, died our beloved Brother John, a priest
who was born at Kampen. He was third among the first four who received
investiture, and he died after midday and was buried on the right side of
Brother Oetbert. He wrote in excellent wise the Chants in the books that
are for use in the choir, for he was a good singer, and a man of modest
character, and showed himself to be able and skilled in divers kinds of
work at harvest time and in the building of the House. When we were
driven forth he went with the Brothers to Frisia, though he was weak, for
he chose rather to share their exile than to abide alone with a few Lay
Brothers to keep the House. But afterward he was sent back before the
rest, for his sickness compelled us to do this: so having fulfilled
thirty-one years in the Religious Life, he fell asleep in the Lord.
In the year 1431, on the Feast of St. Stephen, Pope and Martyr, Brother
Goswin Becker died in Lunenkerc. He was in the beginning of the third
year after his profession, but was not yet in Holy Orders, and he was
buried in the cloister of the monastery there. He was the son of one
John Limborgh, otherwise Becker, and was born at Zwolle.