Du Pin, in the chapter above quoted, farther says, in speaking of the De Imitatione Christi:
"The style is pretty much like that of the other devotional books of Thomas à Kempis. Nevertheless, in his lifetime it was attributed to St. Bernard and Gerson. The latter was most commonly esteemed the author of it in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Afterwards some MSS. of it were found in Italy, where it is attributed to one Gerson or Gessen, to whom is given the title of abbot. Perhaps Gersen or Gessen are only corruptions of the name of Gerson. Notwithstanding, there are two things which will hardly let us believe that this was Gerson's book; one, that the author calls himself a monk, the other, that the style is very different from that of the Chancellor of Paris. All this makes it difficult to decide to which of these three authors it belongs. We must leave Thomas à Kempis in possession of what is attributed to him, without deciding positively in his favour."
J. W. Thomas.
Dewsbury.
This saying is quoted twice, as follows, in The Chronicle of Battel Abbey from 1066 to 1177, translated by Mr. Lower, 8vo., London, 1851:
"Thus, 'Man proposes, but God disposes,' for he was not permitted to carry that resolution into effect."—P. 27.
"But, as the Scripture saith, 'Man proposes, but God disposes,' so Christ suffered not His Church to want its ancient and rightful privileges."—P. 83.
Mr. Lower says in his Preface, p. x.:
"Of the identity of the author nothing certain can be inferred, beyond the bare fact of his having been a monk of Battel. A few passages would almost incline one to believe that Abbot Odo, who was living at the date of the last events narrated in the work, and who is known to have been a literary character of some eminence, was the writer of at least some portions of the volume."
It is stated at the beginning to be in part derived from early document and traditional statements.
E. J. M.