My grandfather was an Irish sailor with such a tremendous voice that a Neapolitan music master brought him out in opera as a _buffo_.

When he had roared his voice away, he went into the chorus.

My father was reared in Italy, and looked more Italian than most genuine natives.

He had no voice; so he became first accompanist, then chorus master, and finally trainer for the operatic stage.

He speculated in an American tour; married out there; lost all his money; and came over to England, when I was only twelve, to resume his business at Covent Garden.