Edward Fairfax

Edward Fairfax Poems

Edward Fairfax Biography

Edward Fairfax (1580? — 27 January 1635) was a translator, the natural son of Sir Thomas Fairfax and thus a half-brother of Ferdinando Fairfax, 2nd Lord Fairfax of Cameron. Fairfax lived at New Hall, Fewston , near Harrogate, Yorkshire, England in peace and prosperity. His translation of Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered, for which he is best known, is considered a masterpiece, one of the comparatively few translations which in themselves are literature. It was highly praised by Dryden and Waller. The first edition appeared in 1600, and was dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I of England. Fairfax also wrote a treatise on Demonology, in which he was a devout believer. Edward's daughters Elizabeth and Anne were baptised in Fewston village church in 1606 and 1621 respectively)

The Best Poem Of Edward Fairfax

Heaven

From hence with grace and goodness compass'd round,
God ruleth, blesseth, keepeth all he wrought,
Above the air, the fire, the sea and ground
Our sense, our wit, our reason and our thought;
Where persons three, with power and glory crown'd,
Are all one God, who made all things of naught.
Under whose feet, subjected to his grace
Sit nature, fortune, motion, time and place.

This is the place from whence like smoke and dust
Of this frail world, the wealth, the pomp, the power,
He tosseth, humbleth, turneth as he lust,
And guides our life, our end, our death and hour,
No eye (however virtuous, pure and just)
Can view the brightness of that glorious bower,
On every side the blessed spirits be
Equal in joys though differing in degree.

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