Now only poet. or rhetorical. Forms: 3–7 emperie, -ye, (6 embery, empory), 7–9 empiry, -ie, (7 empyrie), 6– empery. Cf. IMPERY. [a. OF. emperie (Littré s.v. empire), ad. L. imperium EMPIRE.]
† 1. The status, dignity or dominion of an emperor. Obs.
1297. R. Glouc. (1724), 85. He þer forþ com. And wende toward Rome to wynne þe emperie.
1563–87. Foxe, A. & M. (1596), 8/2. The excellence of the Romane emperie did advance the popedom of the Romane bishop aboue other churches.
1588. Shaks., Tit. A., I. i. 201. Titus, thou shalt obtaine and aske the Emperie.
b. In wider sense: Absolute dominion.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. i. 21. Ryches, honoure and emperye.
1591. Drayton, in Farr, S. P. Eliz. (1845), I. 132. The only God of emperie and of might.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., I. ii. 226. Ruling in large and ample Emperie, Ore France.
a. 1631. Donne, Paradoxes (1652), 11. All Victories and Emperies gained by war.
1655. Jer. Taylor, Guide Devot. (1719), 138. Sets us free From the ungodly Empirie Of Sin.
1812. Scott, Trierm., III. xxv. Coin’d badge of empery it [the gold] bare.
1831. J. Wilson, Unimore, vi. 291. Every Passion in its empery Doth laugh Remorse to scorn.
1882. G. Macdonald, in Good Words, 154. A wider love of empery.
† c. In the sense of L. imperium: The authority with which an officer or magistrate has been lawfully invested; legitimate government. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., 51. Þilke dignitee þat men clepiþ þe emperie of consulers.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. vi. (1632), 504. To introduce that free Empery.
1642. Bridge, Wounded Consc. Cured, § 1. 10. If a Prince should … change the form of the Common-weale from Empery to Tyranny.
2. a. The territory ruled by an emperor. b. In wider sense: The territory of an absolute or powerful ruler; also fig.
1550. Coke, Eng. & Fr. Herald (1877), § 50. Constantyne … conquered the whole empery.
1601. R. Johnson, Kingd. & Commw., 33. A larger Empery hath not be fallen any christian potentate.
1611. Speed, Theat. Gt. Brit., xxix. (1614), 57/1. Alfred or before him Offa shared the open circuit of their emperie into Principalities.
1820. Keats, Lamia, II. 36. A want Of something more, more than her empery Of joys.
1833. H. Coleridge, Poems, I. 62. ’Tis all thy own, ’tis all thy empery.
