[69] A most remarkable illustration of this fact occurs in the history of Locke, who certainly came as near to an important discovery as any philosopher who ever caught a glimpse of a truth without seizing it; but his statement did not, in any degree, hasten the developement of that new branch of science which was reserved for the genius of Dr. Black to investigate, and who a century later, by the discovery of fixed air, changed the whole face of Chemistry. The passage to which I allude is extracted from the Life by Lord King, and is so curious, that I shall give it a place in this note. "M. Toinard produced a large bottle of Muscat: it was clear when he set it on the table; but when he had drawn out the stopper, a multitude of little bubbles arose, and swelled the wine above the mouth of the bottle. It comes from this, that the air, which was included and disseminated in the liquor, had liberty to expand itself, and so to become visible, and, being much lighter than the liquor, to mount with great quickness.--_Quere_, Whether this be air new generated, or whether the springy particles of air in the fruit, out of which these fermenting liquors are drawn, have, by the artifice of Nature, been pressed close together, and there by other particles fastened and held so; and whether fermentation does not loose these bands, and give them liberty to expand themselves again? Take a bottle of fermenting liquor, and tie a bladder on the mouth.--_Quere_, How much new air will it produce; and whether this has the quality of common air?"