THE WILD-GOOSE CHASE. 199 



it within about twenty acres full of ruins and relics of old 

 buildings." 



In the " History of King Arthur " (Chap. 26), Camelot 

 is located in the west of England, Somersetshire ; while in 

 Chapter 44, it is related that Sir Balen's sword " swam 

 down the stream to the citie of Camelot, that is, in 

 English, Winchester!' When Caxton finished the print- 

 ing of the " Mort d'Arthur," * he says of the hero : — 

 " He is more spoken of beyond the sea, .... and 

 yet of record remain witness of him in Wales, in the 

 town of Camelot, the great stones and marvelous 

 works," &c. Tennyson, in his " Mort dArthur," twice 

 mentions Camelot, and in his " Lady of Shalott " 

 frequently alludes to " many-tower'd Camelot," but in 

 neither poem is any clue to its precise situation 

 given. 



" Mercutio. Nay, if our wits run the wild-goose chase, I 

 am done ; for thou hast more of the wild-goose in one of 

 thy wits, than, I am sure, I have in my whole five. Was 

 I with you there for the goose ? 



Romeo. Thou wast never with me for anything, when 

 thou wast not there for the goose. 



Mer. I will bite thee by the ear for that jest. 



Rom. Nay, good goose, bite not. 



* Translated from the French by Sir Thos. Mallory, Knt., and first printed by 

 Caxton, A.D. 1481. 



