665 



FAIRFAX, EDWARD. 



FAITHORNE, WILLIAM. 



into the causes which lead to explosions in steam-boilers, in reference 

 to which and to cases of fracture in girders, hia evidence has often 

 proved of value. Mr. Fairbairn recently delivered a series of lectures 

 to working engineers of Yorkshire and Lancashire, on boilers and 

 explosions, on the consumption of fuel, on iron ship-building, the 

 nature of heat and other subjects, and these have been lately published 

 under the title, ' Useful Information for Engineers." He is also the 

 author of works on the construction of the Britannia and Conway 

 Bridges, and on the Application of Cast and Wrought Iron Beams in 

 Floors and Bridges. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society, fills the 

 chair of Dalton in the Literary and Philosophical Society of Man- 

 chester, is a corresponding member of the National Institute of 

 France, and has received marks of respect from the chief sovereigns of 

 Europe. 



FAIRFAX, EDWARD, was the second son of Sir Thomas Fairfax, 

 of Denton in Yorkshire. The date of his birth is unknown ; but as 

 bis translation of Tasso's 'Jerusalem Delivered' was published in 

 1600, we may suppose that it fell some time in the reign of Queen 

 Elizabeth. Contrary to the habits of his family, who were of a mili- 

 tary turn, he led a life of complete retirement at his native place, 

 where his time was spent in literary pursuits, and in the education of 

 hU own children and those of his brother, one of whom became the 

 father of the celebrated Lord Fairfax. We learn from his own 

 writings that he was neither ' a superstitious Papist nor a fantastic 

 Puritan , ' but farther particulars of his life there are none. He is 

 supposed to have died about the year 1632. 



Fairfax is now known only for his translation of Tasso's 'Jerusalem 

 Delivered,' which is executed in a manner which makes it wonderful 

 how the frigid, jingling, and affected version by Hoole ever survived 

 its birth. The measure which he chose for his work (that of the 

 original Italian) is one less stately perhaps than the Spenserian stanza, 

 but not less fitted for heroic subjects. It consists of eight-line stanzas, 

 of which the first six lines are in terza rima and the last two rhyme 

 with each other. It has this great superiority over the common 

 heroic couplet, that all jingle is avoided by the occasional introduc- 

 tion of a different species of rhyme. Moreover the verses are much 

 more harmonious than those of Hoole ; the diction is more simple, 

 and the English more pure. Now perhaps most readers would smile 

 at the assertion of Hcole in the Preface to his translation of Tasso, 

 that Fairfax's translation " is in stanzas that cannot be read with 

 pleasure by the generality of those who have a taste for English 

 poetry ;" but we must at the same time regret that a literary school 

 like that of the followers of Pope should have usurped for so long a 

 time such entire dominion as to enable one of its humblest members 

 to make assertions so sweeping and insolent as those contained in the 

 preface from which we have just quoted. Fairfax's studies were to a 

 great extent of a theological anil metaphysical turn, and he was 

 induced to undertake the defence of the doctrine and discipline of the 

 Church of England in reply to oue Dorrel, a Roman Catholic, but hia 

 writings on this subject have never been published. He also paid a 

 good deal of attention to the subject of demonology, in which he 

 was a believer, and he left a manuscript treatise, entitled 'A Discourse 

 of Witchcraft, ai it was acted in the family of Mr. Edward Fairfax 

 of Faystone, in the county of York, in the year 1621.' 



FAIRFAX, SIR THOMAS, afterwards Lord Fairfax, the son of 

 Ferdinando Lord Fairfax and his wife, Mary, daughter of Edmund 

 Sheffield, Lord Mulgrave, was born at Denton, about twelve miles 

 N.W. from Leeds. He was sent from school to St. John's College, 

 Cambridge ; but his disposition inclined him to military employment 

 rather than to study. Accordingly, as soon as he left college, he enlisted 

 in the army of Lord Yere, and served under his command in Holland. 

 The connection of Fairfax with Lord Vere afterwards became more 

 close. When be returned to England, he married Anne, the fourth 

 daughter of that peer, who, like her father, was a zealous Presbyterian, 

 and disaffected to the king. When the king began to raise troops, as it 

 was said, for the defence of his person, Fairfax, who foresaw that it 

 was intended to collect an army, in the presence of nearly 100,000 

 people assembled on Heyworth Moor, presented a petition to the king 

 in person, praying that he would listen to his parliament and refrain 

 from raising forces. In 1642, when the civil wars broke out, he 

 accepted a commission of general of the horse under his father, who 

 was general of the parliamentary forces in the north. His first 

 employment was in the county of York, where at first the greater 

 number of actions between the parliamentary and royalist troops were 

 in favour of the king, whose army was under the conduct of the 

 Earl of Newcastle. Sir Thomas Fairfax, somewhat dispirited, was 

 despatched from Lincoln, where he was in quarters, to raise the siege 

 of Nantwich, in Cheshire. In this expedition he was not only suc- 

 cessful in the main object, but be also took several garrisons, and on 

 hi* return defeated the troops under Colonel Bellasis, the governor of 

 York, and effected a junction with his father's forces (April, 1644). 

 Thus Fairfax became master of the field, and, in obedience to his 

 orders, proceeded towards Northumberland, to enable the Scots to 

 march southwards, in spite of the king's forces, which were quartered 

 at Durham. A junction took place between the Scots and Fairfax, 

 who acted in concert during the spring (1044), and fought together in 

 the memorable battle of Marston Moor (July 2, 1644), where the 

 king's troops experienced such a signal defeat that the whole north, 



with the exception of a few garrisons, submitted to the parliament. 

 Before Helmesley Castle, one of these fortresses, which Sir Thomas 

 Fairfax was afterwards (September) sent to besiege, he received a 

 wound in his shoulder that caused his life to be despaired of. When 

 the Earl of Essex ceased to be parliamentary general [ESSEX], it was 

 unanimously voted that Fairfax should be his successor (January 

 1644-45), and Cromwell, by whom his actions were afterwards so 

 greatly influenced, was appointed his lieutenant-general. Fairfax 

 hastened to London, where, upon the receipt of his commission, the 

 speaker paid him the highest compliments. After having been 

 nominated governor of Hull, he marched to the succour of Taunton, 

 in which place the parliamentary troops were closely besieged ; but 

 upon the king's leaving Oxford and taking the field with Prince 

 Rupert, he was recalled before he had proceeded farther than Bland- 

 ford, and received orders to join Cromwell and watchfully attend upon 

 the movements of the king. On the 14th of June he commanded 

 the parliamentary forces at the decisive battle of Nasoby; and 

 when the king had fled into Wales, Fairfax, marching through Glou- 

 cester, possessed himself of Bath, Bristol, and other important posts 

 in Somersetshire. From thence, by the way of Dorsetshire, he 

 carried his arms into Cornwall, and entirely dispersed the forces of 

 the king. 



After the surrender of Exeter, which was the last event of this 

 western campaign, Fairfax returned to Oxford, which as well as 

 Wallingford, surrendered upon articles. In the autumn, after further 

 active and successful employment, he was seized with a fit of illness 

 under which he laboured for some weeks. In November, when he 

 returned to London, he was welcomed by crowds who came out to 

 meet him on his road, was publicly thanked for his services, and 

 received from the parliament a jewel of great value set with diamonds, 

 together with a considerable grant of money. The payment of the 

 200,000<. to the Scottish army, in consideration of which they delivered 

 up the king, was entrusted to Fairfax, who marched northward for this 

 purpose. The discontent of the army, who were fearful either that 

 they should be disbanded or sent to Ireland, now rose to a great height. 

 Their complaints were encouraged by Cromwell and Iretou; a council 

 was formed in the army by selecting two soldiers from each troop, 

 and the Independents showed an evident desire to form a party 

 distinct from the Presbyterians and the parliament, and to usurp for 

 themselves a greater authority. Fairfax saw these violent proceedings 

 with regret, but he had not the resolution to resign his command. 

 He succumbed before the greater genius of Cromwell, following his 

 counsels, until the army had become master both of the parliament 

 and the kingdom. 



In 1647 he was made Constable of the Tower ; and in the follow- 

 ing year, at his father's death, he inherited his titles, appointments, 

 and estates. The difference of his condition made no alteration in his 

 life ; he continued to attack or besiege the royal troops wherever they 

 were mustered or entrenched. Many towns in the east, and among 

 them Colchester, which he treated with great severity, yielded to his 

 arms. In December he marched to London, menaced the parliament 

 and quartered himself in the palace at Whitehall. He was named one 

 of the king's judges, but refused to act ; and he was voted one of the 

 new council of state (February 1648-49), but refused to subscribe the 

 test. In May he marched against the Levellers, who were numerous 

 in Oxfordshire. He continued in command of the army until June 

 1650, when, upon the Scots declaring for the king, he declined 

 marching against them, and consequently resigned his commission. 

 He now retired to his house at Nun Appleton, in Yorkshire, which 

 for some years he made his principal residence. He left it (in 1659) 

 to assist General Monk against Lambert's forces. In January 1659-60, 

 he made himself master of York. In the same month and in the 

 February following he was chosen one of the council of state by 

 the Rump Parliament, was elected one of the members for the county 

 of York, and formed one of the committee appointed to promote 

 the return and restoration of Charles II. In November 1671, while 

 residing privately at his country-house, he was seized with an illness, 

 which terminated in his death. He was buried at Bilburgh, near 

 York. He left issue two daughters, Mary, who married the Duke of 

 Buckingham, and Elizabeth, of whom we have no account. 



FAITHORNE, WILLIAM. This distinguished English engraver 

 of the time of Charles I. was born in London, but in what year is not 

 known. He was instructed by Mr. (afterwards Sir Robert) Peake, 

 painter and priutseller, with whom ho worked three or four years before 

 the breaking out of the rebellion ; and when Sir Robert Peake was 

 made lieutenant-colonel, and intrusted with a command in Basing- 

 House, Faithorue enlisted under him, and they were both taken 

 prisoners together. Faithorne was brought to London and confined 

 in Aldersgate, wheVe he resumed the graver ; he was however shortly 

 afterwards released and permitted to go to France. He returned about 

 1650, and opened a priut-shop in the Strand, near Temple Bar, and 

 prosecuted his art at the same time. About 1680 he gave up this 

 shop, removed to Printing-House Yard, Blackfriars, and iu addition to 

 engraving pursued portrait-painting in crayons. He died in 1691, and 

 was buried in St. Anne's, Blackfriars. 



In 1662 Faithorne published a treatise on engraving, dedicated to 

 Sir Robert Peake, entitled, ' The Art of Qraveing and Etching, wherein 

 is expressed the true way of Graveinj in Copper. Alao the Manner 



