English School 1615 Portrait of Sir Robert Naunton (1563-1635), aged fifty-two, half-length, wearing a black doublet and linen ruff Inscribed Anno Dni1615/Ætatis 52 (centre left), Loquebar detestimonius tuis in conspectu Regnum, et non confundebar/Ps 119.46. (upper centre), Serpentum Princeps Paradisi cana volueris,/Nauntoni hic galeam protegit, haec clypeum,/Et caput, et pectus simul o simul armet et ornet. /Conslium PRVDENS, candida SIMPLICITAS (upper right), The Serpents King, the three white birds of Paradise/This NAUNTONS helmet, theis his shield do patronize/O let his head be crownd and armd wth Counsails Wise/His heart wth faire and spotles ingenuities (centre right) and charged with sitter`s coat of arms (upper right) Oil on panel 68.5 x 50.9cm; 27 x 20in Provenance: Probably by descent from the sitter to William Leman, Leatheringham; His son-in-law Thomas Rede, Beccles; By descent to his grandson Robert Rede (1794-1852), Beccles, by 1814; By descent to his son-in-law Admiral T. P. Thompson (d.1892), by 1868; The property of the late Sir Thomas Sopwith (1888-1989) by the late 1890s; And by family descent Literature: James Caulfield, Memoirs of Sir Robert Naunton, Knt....(London, Smeeton and Caulfield, 1814), p.50 Exhibited: London, South Kensington Museum, Third Exhibition of National Portraits, 1868, no.664 Engraved: Simon van de Passe, c.1616-1621; Robert Cooper, 1814 Sir Robert Naunton was an English writer and politician, who was Secretary of State from 1617 to 1623. His account of the reign of Queen Elizabeth I was published posthumously under the title Fragmenta Regalia.