T. GATAKER, JUN. 219 VerSioneLatina & commentariis Gatakeri,"- 16-.52. Thework was reprinted in 1697, with the addition of the Emperor's life, by Mr. Dacier, together with some select notes of the same author, by Dr. George Stanhope, who, in his dedication to the Lord Chancellor Somers, gives a:high character of our author.. Mr. Gataket, in the evening of his days, when he earnestly desired that repose which his labours so well deserved, was warmly attacked by an active and angry adversary, who was infinitely beneath him in point of knowledge but who had credit with certain persons high in office, andwho was esteemed by the vulgar as a person of transcendent abilities. This was Mr. William Lilly, the famous astrologer, who, finding that our author had a very bad opinion of his pre- tended art, and aworse opinion of his personal character, had the confidence to take up his pen against him ; but he expe- rienced the disappointment which he might easily have fore- seen. Mr. Gataker, who possessed all the sacred and pro- fane learning relative to this subject, not only defended him- self with great strength of argument, but very clearly detected all the plausible sophisms that could be urged in support of this pretended science. The ground of this controversy was Mr. Gataker'sAnnotations on Jeremiah x. 2., in which chap- ter the Jews are warned against listening to the predictions of astrologers, and complying with the practice of idolaters, the two great sins to which they would be tempted in a state of captivity. Our author considered it his duty to expose the vanity of predictions from the stars, and to shew to the chris- tian world, that it was not only folly and ignorance, but great wickedness to rely upon' them. His exposition is curious, full of solid sense and sound learning, and effectually destroys the credit of that delusive art, by which, in all ages, weak and wandering minds have been misled. These annotations roused all the tribe of astrologers against our learned author, from the highest to the lowest. William Lilly, John Swan, and Sir Christopher Heydon, took great offence, and wrote against him without mercy. This induced Mr. Gataker to publish a discourse indefence of himself, and what he had before advanced against the illuminated star- gazers, which is entitled, " A Vindication of the Annotations on Jeremiah, chap. x. ver. 2., against the scurrilous aspersions of that grand impostor Mr. William Lilly ; as also against the various expositions of two of his advocates, Mr. John. Swan, and another by him cited but not named. Together with the 4, Biog. Britan. vol. iv. p. 2171.
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