This I have set down, and leave with my reader, as an occasion for him to consider how much he may be beholden to experience, improvement, and acquired notions, where he thinks he had not the least use of, or help from them. And the rather, because this observing gentleman further adds, that "having, upon the occasion of my book, proposed this to divers very ingenious men, he hardly ever met with one that at first gave the answer to it which he thinks true, till by hearing his reasons they were convinced."
Problema hau irakurleari eskaini nahi izan diot gogoan izan dezan zenbat zor dien esperientzia, heziera eta harturiko nozioei, nahiz eta berak uste izan ez diotela ezertarako balio, inolako laguntzarik ematen ez diotelarik. Eta eskaini nahi izan diot batez ere gizon zuhur honek gehitzen duelako, "nire liburua zela eta, problema hau zenbait gizon argiri proposatu zielarik, ia inor ere ez zuela aurkitu lehenengo hotsean berak erantzun zuzentzat zeukana eman zionik, harik eta, bere arrazoiak entzun ondoren, konbentzitu ziren arte".