John Maria, an Italian poet, was born at Macerata in Anconia, 1663. His talents for poetry and eloquence developed themselves early. His verses at first had too much pomp and point; but residing in Rome, and reading the best Italian poets, brought him back to nature. He not only reformed himself, but undertook to reform bad taste in general. From this motive he projected the establishment of a new academy, under the name of Arcadia; the members of which at first did not exceed 14, but afterwards increased much. They called themselves the shepherds of Arcadia, and each took the name of some shepherd and some place in that ancient kingdom. The founder of this society was appointed the director of it in 1690, and held this honourable post 38 years; namely, to the year of his death, which happened in 1728. Among a great number of works, in verse and prose, the principal is, A History of the Italian Poetry, very much esteemed, and reprinted, in 1731, at Venice, in six volumes 4to. This history is accompanied with a commentary, containing anecdotes of Italian Creecimbepoets. He published also A History of the Academy of Arcadia, together with the lives of the most illustrious Arcadians; and many other works.