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 Lyen:  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 Bucoliastae.

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 within the Towns; the Shepherds met, and sang these kind of Songs, which are now call’d Bucolicks, to Diana; to whom they could not give the usual worship by reason of the Wars:  But Donatus says, that this kind of Verses was first sung to Diana by Orestes, when he wandred about Italy; after he fled from Scythia Taurica, and had {13} taken away the Image of the Goddess and hid it in a bundle of sticks, whence she receiv’d the name of Fascelina, or Phacelide apo tou phakelou At whose Altar, the very same Orestes was afterward expiated by his Sister Iphigenia:  But how can any one rely on such Fables, when the inconsiderable Authors that propose them disagree so much amongst themselves?

Some are of Opinion that the Shepherds, were wont in solem and set Songs about the Fields and Towns to celebrate the Goddess Pales; and beg her to bless their flocks and fields with a plenteous encrease and that from hence the name, and composure of Bucolicks continued.

Other prying ingenious Men make other conjectures, as to this mazing Controversy thus Vossius delivers himself; The Antients cannot be reconcil’d, but I rather incline to their opinion who think Bucolicks were invented either by the Sicilians or Peloponesians, for both those use the Dorick dialect, and all the Greek Bucolicks are writ in that:  As for my self I think, that what Horace says of Elegies may be apply’d to the present Subject.