Definition of "soveraigntie"

[His head,] Wherein by curious ſoueraigntie of Art, / Are fixt his piercing inſtruments of ſight: / Whose fiery circles beare encompaſſed / A heauen of heauenly bodies in their Spheares: […]

c. 1587–1588, [Christopher Marlowe], Tamburlaine the Great. […] The First Part […], 2nd edition, part 1, London: […] [R. Robinson for] Richard Iones, […], published 1592; reprinted as Tamburlaine the Great (A Scolar Press Facsimile), Menston, Yorkshire, London: Scolar Press, 1973, Act II, scene i, signature B2, recto

The King of Nauarre hath alſo tvvo parliaments which ſerue for the countries which he holdeth in ſoueraigntie.

1592, [John Eliot?], The Survay or Topographical Description of France: […], London: […] Iohn Wolfe, […], page 2

Of all complexions the culd ſoueraigntie, / Do meete as at a faire in her faire cheeke, / VVhere ſeuerall vvorthies make one dignitie, / VVhere nothing vvantes, that vvant itſelfe doth ſeeke.

c. 1595–1596 (date written), W. Shakespere [i.e., William Shakespeare], A Pleasant Conceited Comedie Called, Loues Labors Lost. […] (First Quarto), London: […] W[illiam] W[hite] for Cut[h]bert Burby, published 1598; republished as Shakspere’s Loves Labours Lost (Shakspere-Quarto Facsimiles; no. 5), London: W[illiam] Griggs, […], [Act IV, scene iii], signature F, verso, lines 234–237

But Fortune, oh, / She is corrupted, chang'd, and vvonne from thee, / Sh'adulterates hourely vvith thine Vnckle Iohn, / And vvith her golden hand hath pluckt on France / To tread dovvne faire reſpect of Soueraigntie, / And made his Maieſtie the bavvd to theirs.

c. 1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life and Death of King Iohn”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene ii], page 8, column 2

You knovv my Father left me ſome preſcriptions / Of rare and prou'd effects, ſuch as his reading / And manifeſt experience, had collected / For generall ſoueraigntie: and that he vvil'd me / In heedfull'ſt reſeruation to beſtovv them, / As notes, vvhose faculties incluſiue vvere, / More then they vvere in note: […]

c. 1604–1605 (date written), William Shakespeare, “All’s Well, that Ends Well”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act I, scene iii], page 234, column 2

[Ordinaries in heraldry] are alſo called, moſt vvorthy partitions, in reſpect that albeit the Field be charged in diuers parts thereof, vvhether vvith things of one or of diuers kindes, yet is euery of them as effectuall as if it vvere onely one, by the Soueraigntie of theſe partitions being interpoſed betvveene them.

1610, John Guillim, “Sect[ion] II. Chap[ter] III.”, in A Display of Heraldrie: […], London: […] William Hall for Raphe Mab, published 1611, page 43