Also 5 loyaltee, -aulte, 6–7 loyal-, loialtie, 7 loialty, loyaltye. [a. OF. loialté (mod. loyauté), f. loyal LOYAL a.: see -TY.]
1. Faithful adherence to one’s promise, oath, word of honor, etc.; † conjugal faithfulness, fidelity. † Also in phrase by my loyalty.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 6783. This noble dide such labour To susteyne ever the loyaltee, That he to moche agilte me.
c. 1477. Caxton, Jason, 21. By my loyaulte saide thene Corsus sire alle that I haue sayd procedeth not from ony fere … that I haue of all your enemyes.
c. 1532. Du Wes, Introd. Fr., in Palsgr., 927. In my loyaltie, en ma loyaulté.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., IV. ii. 7. When I protest true loyalty to her, She twits me with my falsehood to my friend.
1612. Chapman, Widdowes Teares, II. Dram. Wks. 1873, III. 23. If you be sure of your wiues loialtie for terme of life.
1697. Dryden, Virg. Past., VIII. 130. These Garments once were his; and left to me The Pledges of his promis’d Loyalty.
1770. Goldsm., Des. Vill., 406. And piety with wishes placed above, And steady loyalty, and faithful love.
1856. Emerson, Eng. Traits, Ability, Wks. (Bohn), II. 36. In the courts, the independence of the judges and the loyalty of the suitors are equally excellent.
1871. R. S. Candlish, in Life, xiv. (1882), 149. Thy right hand hath not lost its cunning, nor thy heart its loving loyalty to the gentle craft.
2. Faithful adherence to the sovereign or lawful government. Also, in recent use, enthusiastic reverence for the person and family of the sovereign.
1531. Elyot, Gov., III. vi. For the subiecte or seruaunt to his souerayne or maister it is proprely named fidelitie, and in a frenche terme loyaltie.
1568. Grafton, Chron., I. 176. In this battaile Canutus proved the Loyaltie and manly prowesse of the Englishe men.
1605. Shaks., Macb., I. iv. 22. The seruice, and the loyaltie I owe, In doing it, payes it selfe.
1630. J. Levett, Ord. Bees (1634), 69. They offer unto him all their services and loyalties.
a. 1677. Barrow, Serm., Wks. 1686, III. xli. 471. Whoever of those rebels willingly should come in … and promise future loyalty, or obedience to his laws … should … obtain rewards from him.
1784. Cowper, Task, V. 331. We too are friends to loyalty. We love The king who loves the law.
1807–8. Syd. Smith, Plymley’s Lett., Wks. 1859, II. 176/1. Loyalty within the bounds of reason … is one of the greatest instruments of English happiness.
1874. Green, Short Hist., vii. § 6. 399. Under the rule of Elizabeth loyalty became more and more a passion among Englishmen.
† b. attrib. in loyalty loan. Obs.
1800. Asiatic Ann. Reg., Proc. Parl., 23/2. The … advantageous disposal of the loyalty loan.
† 3. Lawfulness, legality (of marriage). Obs. rare–1.
1660. R. Coke, Power & Subj., 193. In all the reign of H. 3. … if any issue were joyned upon loyalty of marriage, general bastardy, or such like, the King did ever write to the Bishop of the diocese … to certifie the loyalty of the marriage.
