usual custome they egregiously trifle; they suffer themselves to be
put upon by Fables, and resign their judgment up to foolish
pretentions, but things and solid truth is that we seek after.

As about the Author, so concerning the place of its Birth there is a
great dispute, some say _Sparta_, others _Peloponesus_, but most are
for _Sicily_.

_Valla the Placentine_, a curious searcher into Antiquity, thinks
this sort of Poetry first appear'd amongst the _Lacedemonians_, for
when the _Persians_ had wasted allmost all _Greece_, the _Spartans_
say {12} that they for fear of the _Barbarians_ fled into Caves and
lurking holes; and that the Country Youth then began to apply
themselves in Songs to _Diana Caryatis_, together with the Maids, who
midst their Songs offerd Flowers to the Goddess: which custome
containing somewhat of Religion was in those places a long time very
scrupulously observed.

_Diomedes_ the Grammarian, in his treatise of _Measures_, declares
_Sicily_ to be the Place: for thus he says, the _Sicilian_ Sheapards
in time of a great _Pestilence_, began to invent new Ceremonies to
appease incensed _Diana_, whom afterward, for affording her help, and
stopping the Plague they called *Lyên*: _i.e._ the _Freer_ from their
Miserys. This grew into custom, and the Sheapards used to meet in
Companies, to sing their deliverer _Diana's_ praise, and these
afterwards passing into _Italy_ were there named _Bucoliastæ_.

_Pomponius Sabinus_ tells the story thus: When the Hymns the Virgins
us'd to sing in the Country to _Diana_ were left off, because, by
reason of the present Wars, the Maidens were forc't to keep close