ABSTRACT
Despite Thomas Fairfax's notable achievements as battlefield commander, humility features almost as prominently in contemporary representations of the general as does his valour and fame. This work has largely followed the destiny set by its author, being 'designed', as he claimed, 'for private use and then to oblivion'. Through his questioning of the viability of his pastoral retreat, Fairfax in his devotional writing represented a moderated political settlement. It was one thing to praise his older, aristocratic employer Marvell performed just such work in the poem 'Upon the Hill and Grove at Bilbrough but to advise him was quite another matter. Fairfax evidently shared Marvell's belief the pastoral could include much more of human experience than prior examples of the genre allowed for for his part, Fairfax demonstrated in his translations of biblical texts a surprisingly broad pastoral vision. Fairfax's role in this work was 'critical', even though the Restoration would probably not have been 'impossible' without his assistance.
