4. Say that the author wasn't dumbing it down but was trying to understand the world around him, conveniently filling in the gaps with fantasy. Which is not a bad thing. Any hypothesis is fantasy till proved to be a fact.

The difference of course is that luckily, nobody started a religion based on The Principia.... If they had, our understanding of the universe would not have progressed so far as it has. Don't forget Darwin hid his work for years due to his failing superstition and the strengthening superstition of Victoria England.

I like reading some of the posts here. Cheaper than investing in a Salvador Dali to stare at.......