PROVENCAL. 109 



IprovencaL 



222. DEUDES DE PRADES. Dels Auzels 

 Cassadors [Les Oiseaux Chasseurs. Poeme en Pro- 

 vengal de la fin du XI P ou commencement du XI IP 

 siecle]. 



The author of this poem was a troubadour, a native of Prades 

 near Rodez (Aveyron), who, according to Raynouard {Choix 

 des Fohtes originales des Troubadours, 1816-1821, torn. v. 1820, 

 p. 126), was a man of talent and natural good sense, and knew 

 a great deal about Hawks. E si soup moult la natura dels 

 Auzels prendedors. 



From his poem we may learn how to know a good Goshawk — 

 Cossi den horn conoisser austor sa ; and a good Sparrow-hawk — 

 Cossi den hom conoisser esparvier de bonas faissos. Other verses 



treat of De cantas maneiras so" I falco Esmerillos e de lurs 



conoissensas Cals hom deu tener auzel. .... Cant au- 



zel afebre (quand I'oiseau a fievre), etc. 



Under the heading D esperimens dauzels we find reference to 

 some which the author says were set forth in a book written by 

 Henry I. King of England, who loved hawks and hounds better 

 than any one : 



*' En un libre del ret Enric 

 D' Angleterra, lo pros e'l ric 

 Que amet plus auzels e cds 

 Que nonfes auc nuill crest ids 

 Trobei d azautz esperimens " 



Of the book here referred to no MS. is known to exist, 

 although Deudes de Prades must have seen a copy not long 

 after the death of the royal author. 



Baron de Noirmont observes {Hist, de la Chasse en France, iii. p. 

 90) : " On trouve dans ce poeme des traces manifestes de I'oeuvre 

 du faux Symmachus, probablement ant^rieur k Vincent de Beau- 

 vais (contemporain d' Albert) et Brunetto Latini (le celebre gram- 

 marien Florentin du 13^ siecle) et notre plus ancien traits de 

 fau^onnerie en langue vulgaire." 



