YN the towne of Dort vpon the long reede Banke ( neere the signe of the three Pidgions ) there dwelled a man whose name was Iohn Peterson , borne in the Citie of Antwerp : who maried with a young woman , borne at Dort aforesaid : This Iohn Peterson with his wife liued many yeares together , he being a waterman , who vsed to ferry passengers from Dort to Rotterdam , and his wife vsed the trade of dressing of Flax : these two hauing had diuers children , it pleased God that all dyed sauing two Sonnes , whose names were , the one Nicholas Iohnson who now dwelleth at the Brill , the other Iohn Iohnson ( for often they take their surnames of their Fathers Christen name ) of which Iohn Iohnson we are heereafter to intreat : whose Parents dyed in the yeare of our Lord 1600. being very poore .

This Iohn Peterson being deceased , hauing a brother yet dwelling in the Citie of Antwerp who vnderstanding of the death of his brother sent to Dort for Iohn Iohnson the youngest son of his brother deceased ( being a pretty youth ) who thought it fitter to keepe one of his owne kinsmen , then the sonne of any stranger : When this youth came to Antwerp , his Vncle gaue him very kinde welcome , being ioyfull to see him , for he had neuer seene him before that time . Now it pleased his Vncle to imploy this Iohn Iohnson about his affaires , who vsed such diligence in all things he went about , that he procured such loue of his Vncle , as if he had bene his deare childe , he could neuer haue respected him with more regard : and the rather , for that he gaue his minde to all vertuous & godly exercises : Insomuch , that whatsoeuer the young man did , it was most pleasing to his Vncle , as also to most who knew him : He was many times assailed by Iesuits ( and others of that religion ) to conuert him from the true religion which he then professed , but he continuing constant , by no meanes would yeild vnto them : which being bruited in the Citie , he was of all the godly generally well respected .

To come to the matter : his Vncle being a man of great trading in marchandize , had occasion ( with diuers other marchants ) to trauaile to Francfort Mart ( for he vsed much to go thither ) and thought it fit to take his kinsman Iohn Iohnson along with him , to acquaint him in those partes , that he might the better afterwards haue knowledge in his busines : & his Vncle delighted greatly in his company , by reason he was giuen to much honest mirth , for which all that knew him did exceedingly affect him , and called him the Hollander , demaunding often of him , if all Hollanders were so pleasant as himselfe was passing on the way ? After their long iourney , they came to Francfort , euery man taking his leaue of other , intending to goe about their affaires : And after some few daies of their continuance in Francfort , there came a Letter to this Iohn Iohnsons Vncle ( from Antwerp ) to certifye him of busines of great import , which was speedily to be disspatched at home : whervpon his Vncle hauing as yet effected little busines , did thinke it most conuenient to send the said Iohn Iohnson to Antwerp ( knowing his sufficient care in any of his imployments ) whilst he himselfe stayed till the end of the Mart. Now hauing commaundement of his Vncle to depart for Antwerp , hee tooke his leaue , and set forward on his iourney without any feare , for he had little to loose , and taking his iourneys to the same Townes and Innes , where before he with his Vncle & other Marchants had lyen : At length he came to Bon , to the same Inne where he before had lodged , which was neere the market-place , at the signe of the Swan , without suspect of any danger : where also lodged diuers Marchants , with whome this Iohn Iohnson that night supped , hauing had very good fare : and passing the time away with pleasant discoursings , vntill it grew towards bed-time : and being shewed their chambers , the young-man desired the Host that he would call him vp very early , who promising so to doe , departed : This Host hauing espied one of the other Marchants to haue a Budget , wherein was good store of money , ( who lodged in the same Chamber where the young man lodged ) thought with himselfe how he might get this Budget , and to liue vnsuspected : at last he deuised with himselfe , that hauing the mony , he would work so cunningly that none should be suspected but the young man : The Host in the night came stealing into their chamber , there taking away the Marchants Budget with money , and the young mans Wallet , wherein was some foule linnen , and shooes , and such like . When this Host had opened the Marchants Budget , and taken out the mony , he found also in the same a Seale Ring & an Obligation , which Obligation and Seale-ring , the Host tooke out , and with a siluer Tonne of his owne , whereon the Hosts marke was grauen , and which his guests did drinke in the night before at Supper , hee put these three in the young mans wallet , and tyed it vp as it was afore , and entring the Chamber againe laid the wallet in the place from whence he tooke it .

In the morning the Host ( according to his promise ) calles vp the young man , who presently rising , made him ready , paid his reckoning , tooke his leaue , and went his way on his iourney , hauing the Marchants King and Obligation , with the Hosts siluer Tonne , tyed vp in his wallet , vnknowne vnto him : so trauayling on without any mistrust , it fortuned that the Marchant arysing , and missing his Budget with his money , presently called out , saying he was robd : and being exceedingly perplexed , and in a great fury , the Host ( as if hee had not knowne any thing ) come speedily vnto him , demaunding the occasion of his outrage ▪ To whome hee replyed that his Budget with his money was stolne away from him : The Host answering , that if hee had loft any thing , there was none could haue it but the youth who lodged that night in the Chamber , and was so sodainely gone away in the morning . Therefore let vs with all speede take horse , & we shall surely ouertake him : Wherevpon , with all haste that might be , the Marchant , with the treacherous hoast , tooke their Horses , and in very short time they ouertooke this Iohn Iohnson : The Hoast speaking very furiously vnto him , charged him of Fellony , saying , thou hast robbed this Marchant ( who lay this night in the same Chamber where thy selfe didst lodge ) of all his money : The modest young man , at the first being greatly affrighted stood amazed , knowing himselfe without fault , answered : Truly I am as cleer from such offence , as any person in the world : Yet notwithstanding , the Host was marueylous importunate to haue the young mans wallet searcht , which being opened , there appeared to their fight , the Hosts siluer Tonne , with the Marchants Obligation and seale King : which when the Marchant espied , he thought verily that none had his money but he : The young man when he saw these things pulled out of his Mallet , almost dyed with griefe , excusing himselfe , that he neuer knew how they came into his Wallet : but the Boast vowed that hee should be hanged if it should cost him an hundreth pound : So causing the youth to returne backe againe to Bon , they brought him before the Magistrates , who after his examination , he still denying the fact , was committed to prison , put vpon the Racke , and grieuously tormented : the youth feeling this miserable paine , cryed to God for ayde , and voluntarily confest that he had done the deed , although indeed he did it not : Afterward , being brought to the publike place of tryall , he was there adiudged to be hanged for that oftence : But when he perceaued that he must needs die the shamefull death , he lamenting all his sinfull life past , which he had committed against the Maiestie of Almighty God , he hoped to be saued in the faith he had in Iesus Christ : So being led to the place of execution , in the presence of all the beholders , said : I am here come to suffer death in this place , and now in presence of you all , I take God to be my witnes ( & therewith wept most bitterly ) that I neuer knew of the stealing either of the Marchants money , neither of the Hoasts siluer Tonne , nor can any way deuise by what meanes they should come into my Mallet : and in respect I am cleere of this fact for which I am heere condemned to die , I doe beseech Almightie God that it will please him through his great power , to shew some miracle on me , whereby the truth may be known ; and that all men may perceane that I suffered innocently : the people grieued much to heare him inuocate the name of God in that extremity , prayed also with him and lamented his timeles death , if he were as he saide without fault : so hauing ended his prayers , he was turned off the Ladder and hanged : but the Lord God hauing heard his prayers , and knowing his innocencie , did most miraculously preserue him , as heereafter you shall heare .

His Uncle hauing ended all his busines at Francfort , in the company of diuers other Marchants , tooke their iournies homewards towards Antwerp , and according to their wonted manner they tooke their Inne ( where before they were accustomed ) at the Signe of the Swan in the Towne of Bon.

In the morning following , when these Marchants intended to depart from thence , The hoast being amongst them , tolde them that there was a young man , which was in their company the last time that they lodged there , who had robbed him of a siluer Tonne which they vsed to drinke in , and a Marchant ( which lodged in the house ) of a great summe of money : for which offence , the young man was apprehended , and afterwards confest the fact , and then adiudged to be hanged , which is now fiue daies since he was executed , and still hangeth on the gallowes without the gates .

The young mans Vncle being stroken into wonderful admiration at this speech , demanded of the Host what manner a fellow he was which committed the robbery ? he being well assured that his kinsman would not commit any such abuse : but by the Hoasts description , in all things it was his kinsman : wherevpon , because he would be certaine whether it was he or no , he earnestly requested the other Marchants which were with him , to take so much paines , as to goe with him to see him , for hee could hardly yet belieue it to be him .

And comming to the place where the young man hanged , so soone as he came neere him , he espied him to be his kinsman , at the sight wherof he sodainely fell downe in a swound : but the Marchants helping him vp , comforted him with all their helpes . Presently , the young-man ( there hanging ) spake to his Vncle in this manner following .

O my louing and most deere Vncle , although I heere hang most shamefully , yet am I not dead , for it hath pleased Almighty God to preserue me , by placing a stoole vnder my feete , which to you is not perceaued , vpon the which I stand , And the Angell of the Lord , from heauen , hath fed me heere fiue dayes : I beseech you take the paines , to returne to the Towne of Bon , and certifye the Maiestrater there , in what manner you haue found me , and request them to come with you , and I will let them vnderstand that I am heere hanged without any offence : The Marchants hearing the young man speaking in this manner , were much astonyed , and straight-way departed from thence : and when they came before the Magistrates , they before them vpon their Oathes deliuered what the young man had related vnto them : whereat the Magistrates maruailed , and presently with the Marchants they went to the place where the young man did hang , and perceiuing al to be true which the Marchants had reported vnto them , they caused him to be presently taken downe , who was then in perfect health , although he had hanged fiue dayes .

But God , the defender of all that put their whole trust in his mercies , seeing this young mans innocencie ( to make his wondrous workes to seeme the more admirable , and to bring the truth to light ) preserued him all this time , without any perill or danger .

Then the Magistrates ( in the company of those Marchants ) hauing seene this miraculous worke of the Lord , brought this Iohn Iohnson into the Towne , where they examined this youth throughly of all doubts , who certifyed them of all the manner : first of his comming to such an Inne , then how he requested his Host to call him vp in the morning , then of his departing , and afterwards how the Host with the Marchant came riding after him , and apprehended him : which when they perceaued , presently they sent for the Host , to examine him vpon the perticulers , touching this young man : but when the Host beheld the young man still to be aliue , the Host presently confessed the deed , & how hee himselfe had wrongfully accused that youth of those fellonies which he himselfe had committed . When these Magistrats heard all the truth of this busines , they praised God for preseruing this young man , and brigning to light the wretched offender : And so sentence was pronounced vpon this Host , that he should be conueyed to prison , and the next day to be bound to a Stake neere the place where the young-man was hanged , and there to be burnt : which was accordingly performed . And likewise it was ordered by those Iudges that the young man should possesse to his own vse , the somme of three thousand Guilders , of the Hosts money , in recompence of the iniurie was done vnto him .

After this execution was ●inished , the young man , with his Uncle , & the other Marchants , taking their leaues of the Magistrates , departed towards Antwerp where now this Iohn Johnson , with his Uncle Gerard Atthonyson , doe at this day remaine , neere a place called the Meere , or water . Whosoeuer doe repaire to that place , may be an eye-witnes , & see the party who was executed as before is declared .

The Magistrates of Bon , caused this to be Printed , to set forth the mighty power and glorie of God , as themselues were witnesses thereof .