Thomas Gataker B.D. his vindication of the annotations by him published upon these words,…

and the Sorceresses flatteries at the Libyan Oracle, whether by an unskilful slip or a wilful mistake, styling him [Greek or Hebrew], Jove's Son, and refusing to acknowledge Philip his Father, which tho he knew right well to be no other then mere fictions, and among the Grecians a people of better apprehension, and his own countrymen, that were better acquainted with his breeding, he were more sparing of venting ought concerning his divine Off-spring, and made but a jest of it, when he showed his friends and favourites the blood that came from him in fight, and asked ^”whether it were such as the Gods shed; and told them an other time of ^*two things that gave in evidence against his Deity; yet with those barbarous Nations whom he desired to subdue, he was willing to have such frivolous fictions and groundless conceits go for current. But as these Gypsy Wizards fitted their presages of this Eclipse unto Alexander's designs and desires; so the Persian Magicians might as well with a wet finger, have framed the very self same accident to Darius his affairs, as those other to Xerxes his intentions and enterprises, and it may be that some of them so did, by telling him, that the Persians were under the tutelage of the Sun, whom they adored as their chief God, by the name of Mithras or Mitras; (for both come to one) and that the Greeks and Macedonians were under the Moon, on the face whereof coming in opposition to it the Sun darted the shadow of the Earth, that produced that darkness; whereby was portended, that the Persians should darken the lustre of the Macedonians that came to invade them, by giving them some great and ⟨p. 50⟩remarkable defeat, and as good ground might Darius and his forces have to believe the one, as Alexander and his followers, or Xerxes before him, to give credit to the other. But thus ye may see, that it is peoples ignorance of the natural cause and course of such occurrents, (which those cunning Gypsies therefore were so careful to keep from them) that makes men entertain such fond conceits of these Eclipses, and to give heed to such tales as our Stargazers and Figure-casters tell them concerning the same.

and the Sorceresses flatteries at the Libyan Oracle, whether by an unskilful slip or a wilful mistake, styling him 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, Joves Son, and refusing to acknowledge Philip his Father, which tho he knew right wel to be no other then meer fictions, and among the Grecians a people of better apprehension, and his own countrymen, that were better acqainted with his breeding, he were more sparing of venting ought concerning his divine Off-spring, and made but a jest of it, when he shewed his frends and favourits the bloud that came from him in fight, and asked