PORTER, ENDYMION English royalist, born at Aston-sub-Edge in Gloucestershire, was brought up in Spain-where he had relatives-as page in the household of Olivares. He afterwards entered successively the service of Edward Villiers and of Buckingham, and through the latter's recommendation became groom of the bedchamber to Charles I., who employed him on diplomatic business. During the Civil War Porter remained a faithful servant of the king.
At the end of 1645, when the cause of the king was finally lost, Porter abandoned England, and resided successively in France, Brussels, where he was reduced to great poverty, and the Netherlands. He returned to England in 1649, after the king's death, and was allowed to compound for what remained of his property. He died shortly afterwards, and was buried on Aug. 20, 1649, at St. Martin's-in-the-Fields. Porter had a great reputa tion in the world of art and letters. He wrote verses, was a generous patron of Davenant, who especially sings his praises, of Dekker, Warmstrey, May, Herrick and Robert Dover, and was included among the 84 "essentials" in Bolton's "Academy Royal." He was a judicious collector of pictures, and as the
friend of Rubens, Van Dyck, Mytens and others painters, and as agent for Charles in his purchases abroad he had a consider able share in forming the king's magnificent collection. He was also instrumental in procuring the Arundel pictures from Spain. The authorship of EiKeov rtari, 1649, a vindication of the Eidain, gacrAuci, has been attributed with some reason to Porter.