From the beginning of the Introduction. Very little is known of the life of Daude de Pradas. The short notice which in some manuscripts is prefixed to his songs merely tells us that he was from Rouergue, of the town of Pradas, near Rhodez; that he was canon of the church of Maguelonne, a man of talent and learning, a great connaisseur 'dels auzels prendedors, ' and that he wrote songs. The songs however, not being the expression of real feeling, were not popular, or often sung. There is in the Collection Doat (Par. Bibl. Nat. Salle des Mss.) V, 174 the 'Acte de l'hommage fait par Henry, Comte de Rhodés, au Comte de Leicestre, Seigneur de Montfort, VII Idus Nov. 1214. At the end of this document we find among the names of the witnesses "D. de Pradas, Magistro W, canonicis Ruthenensibus." It would seem then that Daude was canon at Rouergue before he went to Maguelonne; unless perhaps he held both positions at the same time. In the Statuta Magalonensis Ecclesisæ, (1 under date of 4 and 5 Nov. 1331, we find a document which was executed "in presencia et testimonio dictorum arbitrorum et Deodati, canonici ejusdem ecclesiæ Magalone, qui jussus hsec omnia scripsit."