Forms: 4–6 feaute, (5 feauty, 6 feautie), 4–5 feute(e, 4–6 fewt(e(e, (5 fewthe, fewtye), 4–7 fealtie, -ye, (5 fealtee, feaulte, 6 -ie], 6– fealty. [ad. OF. feaute, feaulte, fealte = Pr. fealtad, fedeltat:—L. fidēlitāt-em, i. fidēlis faithful, f. fidēs FAITH.]
1. The obligation of fidelity on the part of a feudal tenant or vassal to his lord.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, I. 427.
| Schir byschop, sekyrly, | |
| Gyff thow wald kep thi fewte, | |
| Thow maid nane sic speking to me. |
c. 1460. J. Russell, Bk. Nurture, 1204. Þey haue knowleche of homages, seruice, and fewte.
1587. Fleming, Contn. Holinshed, III. 1362/1. From all debt or dutie of fealtie.
1593. Shaks., Rich. II., V. ii. 45.
| I am in Parliament pledge for his truth, | |
| And lasting fealtie to the new-made King. |
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 367. This obligation on the part of the vasal was called his fidelitas or fealty.
1814. Scott, Ld. of Isles, III. viii.
| Each bent the knee | |
| To Bruce in sign of fealty. |
1842. Tennyson, Morte D’Arthur, 75.
| Not rendering true answer, as beseem’d | |
| Thy fealty, nor like a noble knight. |
2. The recognition of this obligation (see quot. 1635). Also pl. Frequent in phrases to do, make, receive, swear, etc. fealty.
c. 1300. K. Alis., 2911. Alle heo duden him feuté.
c. 1130. R. Brunne, Chron. (1810), 3. Ine toke his feaute of alle þat lond helde.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VII. 95. To whom [Swane] þe men … þat dwelled at þe norþ side of Watlyng strete gefen ostage and sworen feutee.
c. 1400. Ywaine & Gaw., 3762.
| And sho sal hald hir land of the, | |
| And to the tharfor mak fewtè. |
1475. The Boke of Noblesse, 38. Prince Edwarde … received theire homages and feutees … in the name of King Edwarde .iijd.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, xxvi. 571. They of the londe receyved him to be their lorde & made to him fewt & homage.
1523. Fitzherb., Surv., 12. These tenauntes maye holde their landes by … fealtie.
1533–4. Act 25 Hen. VIII., c 20 § 5. Making … othe & feautie only to the kinges maiestie.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 416. Solomon … received fealtie of all the Princes and People of the Land.
a. 1626. Bacon, Max. & Uses Com. Law (1635), 32. Fealty is to take an oath upon a book, that he wil be a faithful Tenant to the King, and doe his service, and pay his rents according to his tenure.
1681. Burnet, Rights Princes, v. 149. The Bishops were also obliged to swear fealty to the Prince.
1855. Milman, Lat. Chr. (1864), IV. VII. ii. 58. Where there was no fealty there could be no treason.
1862. Ld. Brougham, Brit. Const., xi. 146. Formerly the vassal swore to his baron fealty absolutely; he was even forced to follow him in rebellion against the Sovereign, and his oath of fealty to the Sovereign contained an exception of his duty to his liege lord.
attrib. 1851. Sir F. Palgrave, Norm. & Eng., I. 359. Henceforward, though Lotharius Imperator might appear in Charter or Diploma and the fealty-form be preserved to him, his sovereignty in Italy was gone.
3. transf. and fig.
c. 1530. Hickscorner, in Hazl., Dodsley, I. 173.
| We all to him [God] owe fea’ty and service, | |
| From the ladder of life down he will thee thrust, | |
| Then mastership may not help, nor great office. |
a. 1536. Calisto & Melibæa, ibid., I. 54. The more to God ought I to do fealty.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iv. 91.
| Sil. Be-like that now she hath enfranchis’d them | |
| Vpon some other pawne for fealty. |
1667. Milton, P. L., III. 204.
| Man disobeying, | |
| Disloyal breaks his fealtie. |
1681–6. J. Scott, Chr. Life (1747), III. 276. The Church … makes a visible Profession of Fealty to him.
1717. E. Fenton, Homer Odyss., XI., in Poems, 94.
| Studious to win your Consort, and seduce | |
| Her from chaste Fealty to Joys impure. |
1866. Felton, Anc. & Mod. Gr., I. v. 82. The most advanced minds acknowledged their fealty to the old master [Homer].
