ley probably means "second-rate" as compared with
the few very great names, which can be easily counted on the
fingers.

Both Donizetti and Bellini, though far inferior to their master in
richness of resources, in creative faculty and instinct for what may
be called dramatic expression in pure musical form, were disciples of
Rossini in their ideas and methods of work. Milton sang of Shakespeare--

"Sweetest Shakespeare, Fancy's child,
"Warbles his native wood-notes wild!"

In a similar spirit, many learned critics have written of Rossini, and
if it can be said of him in a musical sense that he had "little Latin
and less Greek," still more true is it of the two popular composers
whose works have filled so large a space in the opera-house of the last
thirty years, for their scores are singularly thin, measured by the
standard of advanced musical science. Specially may this be said of
Bellini, in many respects the greater of the two. There is scarcely
to be found in music a more signal example to show that a marked
individuality may rest on a narrow base. In justice to him, however, it
may be said that his early death prevented him from doing full justice
to his powers, for he had in him the material out of which the great
artist is made. Let us first sketch the career of Donizetti, the author
of sixty-four operas, besides a mass of other music, such as cantatas,
ariettas, duets, church music, etc., in the short space of twenty-six
years.

Gaetano Donizetti was born at Bergamo, September 25, 1798, his father
being a man of moderate fortune.*

* Admirers of the author of "Don Pasquale" and "Lucia" may
be interested in knowing that Donizetti was of Scotch
descent. His grandfather was a native of Perthshire, named
Izett. The young Scot was beguiled by the fascinating tongue
of a recruiting-sergeant into his Britannic majesty's
service, and was taken prisoner by General La Hoche during
the latter's invasion of Ireland. Already tired of a
private's life, he accepted the situation, and was induced
to become the French general's private secretary.
Subsequently he drifted to Italy, and married an Italian
lady of some rank, denationalizing his own name into
Donizetti. The Scottish predilections of our composer show
themselves in the music of "Don Pasquale," noticeably in
"Com' e gentil;" and the score of "Lucia" is strongly
flavor