| James and Mary Ford, eds. Every Day in the Year. 1902. | | | | November 12 | | Epitaph on Sir Thomas Fairfax | | By George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham (1592–1628) |
| | | | Sir Thomas Fairfax, who died on Nov. 12, 1671, was a celebrated Parliamentary leader in the English Civil Wars. |
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I. UNDER this stone doth lie | |
| One born for victory,— | |
| Fairfax the valiant, and the only He | |
| Who ere for that alone a conqueror would be. | |
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II. Both sexes’ virtues were in him combined: | 5 |
| He had the fierceness of the manliest mind, | |
| And all the meekness too of womankind. | |
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III. He never knew what envy was, nor hate; | |
| His soul was filled with worth and honesty, | |
| And with another thing besides, quite out of date, | 10 |
| Called modesty. * * * * * | |
VI. When all the nation he had won, | |
| And with expense of blood had bought | |
| Store great enough, he thought, | |
| Of fame and of renown,— | 15 |
| He then his arms laid down, | |
| With full as little pride | |
| As if he’d been the other, conquered side, | |
| Or one of them could be that were undone. | |
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VII. He neither wealth nor places sought: | 20 |
| For others, not himself, he fought; | |
| He was content to know | |
| (For he had found it so) | |
| That when he pleased to conquer he was able, | |
| And left the spoil and plunder to the rabble. | 25 |
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VIII. He might have been a king, | |
| But that he understood | |
| How much it is a meaner thing | |
| To be unjustly great than honorably good. | |
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IX. This from the world did admiration draw, | 30 |
| And from his friends both love and awe, | |
| Remembering what he did in fight before. | |
| Nay, his foes loved him too, | |
| As they were bound to do, | |
| Because he was resolved to fight no more. | 35 |
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X. So, blessed of all he died, but far more blessed were we | |
| If we were sure to live till we could see | |
| A man as great in war, as just in peace as he. | | | |
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