young men afterwards began to imitate these,
throwing out at the same time among each other jocular expressions in
uncouth verses; nor were their gestures irrelevant to their language.
Wherefore the matter was received with approbation, and by frequent use
was much improved. To the native performers the name of _histriones_ was
given, because _hister_, in the Tuscan vocabulary, was the name of an
actor, who did not, as formerly, throw out alternately artless and
unpolished verses like the Fescennine at random, but represented medleys
complete with metre, the music being regularly adjusted for the
musician, and with appropriate gesticulation. Livius, who several years
after, giving up medleys, was the first who ventured to digest a story
with a regular plot, (the same being, forsooth, as all were at that
time, the actor of his own pieces,) after having broken his voice from
having been too repeatedly called on, and after having sought
permission, is said to have placed a boy before the musician to chaunt,
and to have performed the gesticulations with considerably freer
movement, because the employment of his voice was no impediment to him.
Thence commenced the practice of chaunting to the actors according to
their manual gesticulations, and the dialogues only were left to their
voice. When by this arrangement the business of the scenic performances
was called away from laughter and intemperate mirth, and the amusement
became gradually converted into an art, the young men, leaving to
regular actors the performance of plays, began themselves, according to
the ancient usage, to throw out ludicrous jests comprised in verses,
which from that time were called _exodia_, and were collected chiefly
from the Atellan farces. Which kind of amusement, received from the
Osci, the young kept to themselves, nor did they suffer it to be debased
by regular players. Hence it remains an established usage that the
actors of the Atellan farces are neither degraded from their tribe, and
may serve in the army, as if having no connexion with the profession of
the stage. Among the trifling beginnings of other matters, it seemed to
me that the first origin of plays also should be noticed; that it might
appear how from a moderate commencement it has reached its present
extravagance, scarcely to be supported by opulent kingdoms.

3. However, the first introduction of plays, intended as a religious
expiation, neither relieved their minds from religio