1345—1349, occurs the following passage (which is copied literally), under February 1349:—“ 15⁰ Die Dominica mensis Februarji post divisionem factam cum fratre meo Vincentio qui Ceridonji abitat in signum fraterni amoris quod hoc temporalibus tantum impulsus negotis feci dono ili preciosum Codicem de Imitatione Christi , quod hoc ab agnatis meis longa manu teneo nam nonnulli antenates mei hujus jam recordarunt. ”
Here we have it stated that a copy of the Imitatio Christi has been for successive generations before 1349 in the possession of the family De Advocatis. If this work be identical with that before us, there is an end at once both of the Kempis and the Chancellor Gerson authorship. And we shall now show that there is a strong case in favour of the identity.
The family De Advocatis ( Ital. Avogadro) owed their family name to having held the office of “Defenders of the Church” from the seventh century. Many members of it became illustrious in theology and science, and several became Bishops of Vercelli, the family being patrons of the church there.