ded in High life below Stairs.

* * * * *

_A hard fought theatrical battle._

No person in the smallest degree acquainted with theatrical affairs, can
be ignorant of the strong spirit of rivalship that exists between Drury
Lane and Covent Garden, and that has prevailed since the first
establishment of those theatres. The anecdote I am going to relate,
affords probably the strongest instance of this spirit that is on
record.

When Garrick's celebrity was at its highest pinnacle of glory, Rich, the
manager of Covent Garden, engaged Barry and Mrs. Cibber, performers of
very great talents, and high reputation, and entered the lists with
Garrick in the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Barry performed the young
Montague, and Mrs. Cibber the delicate and elegant Juliet. Garrick
produced the celebrated, but frail and unfortunate Mrs. Bellamy in
Juliet, while he played Romeo. Every exertion within the compass of
human powers was made by both parties, and the public opinion was held
for a time divided between the rivals. The warfare was continued for
twenty nights successively. At length Rich, growing tired of the
contest, abandoned Romeo and Juliet; and Garrick in triumph had it
represented one night more. The constant repetition of the same play
disgusted the public, and gave rise to the following epigram, which was
published in the papers of the day--

"What play tonight?" says angry Ned,
As from his bed he rouses.
"Romeo again!" he shakes his head--
"A pox on both your houses."[Q]

* * * * *

_What is it about?_

However incredible the following story may appear, it stands on the very
respectable authority of Arthur Murphy[R] and David Erskine Baker[S]. A
tragedy, called Zingis, written by Alexander Dow, was so totally
unintelligible that the audience were continually asking each
other--What is it about? What is it about?--That such nonsense should be
written is not so very marvellous, as that the miserable farrago should
have had a run of nine nights, which has been frequently denied to works
of first rate merit.

FOOTNOTES:

[L] Baker's Play-house Companion, vol. 1.

[M] Idem, 426.

[N] Baker's Play-house Companion, vol. 1. 312.

[O] Idem, 292.

[P] Baker's Play-house Companion, vol 1. p. 250.

[Q] Murphy's life of Garrick, Dublin Edition, p 125.

[R] Idem, page 294.

[S] Play-house Companion, Vol. 2. p. 417.

LIT