thought; and there was in him a spirit of good-nature
trenching upon weak compliance, which put his time at the service of all
who chose to thrust employment upon him. Added to this, and arising out
of his want of steady resolution and earnest will, there was a habit of
putting off till to-morrow what should be done to-day, of which he was
himself fully sensible, and which he speaks of in one of his letters, as
that "fatal habit of delay and procrastination, for which I am so
pre-eminently distinguished."

Charles Wolfe was the youngest son of Theobald Wolfe, Esq., of
Blackball, in the County of Kildare, Ireland, and was born in Dublin on
the 13th of December, 1791. The family was not unknown to fame, for the
celebrated General Wolfe, who fell at Quebec, was one of its members,
and Lord Kilwarden, an eminent man at the Irish bar, and who was
afterward elevated to the dignity of a judgeship, was another. At an
early age the father of our hero died, and the family removed to
England, where Charles Wolfe was sent to a school at Bath. Here,
however, at the age of ten years, his studies were interrupted by
failing health for a period of twelve months. After that, he was in the
establishment of Dr. Evans, of Salisbury; and in 1805 we find him at
Winchester school, under the superintendence of Mr. Richards, senior.
Here he became conspicuous for his classical knowledge, and his great
powers of versification, which gave promise of future excellence. What
appears more distinctly, though, than his mental ability at this age,
was the amiability of his disposition, and the tractability of his
nature. His kindness, cheerfulness, and open sympathy drew to him the
love of his fellows; and the esteem in which he was held by his masters
may be judged from the fact, that during the whole period of his
pupilage his conduct never drew down upon him punishment, or even a
reprimand. His tender and affectionate disposition endeared him to his
own family, with whom he was an especial favorite; and in connection
with this, we may mention one circumstance strongly indicative of his
yielding character. In spite of his gentle nature, he, animated no doubt
by that desire for glory so common to poetical minds, and which, looking
on the brighter side of war, hides its terrors and its horrors from the
young and ardent, wished to enter the army; but finding that the idea
gave pain to his mother, he immediately abandoned the notion, and
appears from th