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. LITERARY INTELLIGENCE. SHAW'S POEMS. "... Not unknown to me the glow, The warmth divine that poets know." Shaw's M.S.