Forms: 4 legg(e)aunce, lygeaunce, ligence, lygiauns, liegance, 4–5 ligeaunce, leg(e)aunce, lygaunce, 4–6 liegeaunce, 4–7 lege-, legiance, ligance, 5 legiaunce, legauns, legence, liegiance, lyeg(e)aunce, lygeance, lygeauns, 6 legyaunce, 6–7 liegeance, 7–8 leigeance, ligiance, 5–9 ligeance. [a. OF. ligeance, legiance, etc. (latinized ligentia, ligantia, legiancia), f. lige LIEGE: see -ANCE. Cf. ALLEGIANCE.]
1. The obligation of a liege man to his liege lord; the duty of fidelity of a subject to his sovereign or government; = ALLEGIANCE 2. Obs. exc. arch.
1377. Pol. Poems (Rolls), I. 217. And in his leggaunce worthily He abod mony a bitter brayd.
a. 1382. Wyclif, Sel. Wks., III. 503. Þat … alle þo ordiris of freris, in peyne of lesynge of alle hor legeaunce, telle þo kynge … what is þis sacrament.
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 105. Comaundinge hem vppon legeaunce To come in al hast.
1471. Arriv. Edw. IV. (Camden), 39. [They] became his true liegemen, with as streight promyse of trew legiaunce as cowthe be devised.
1489. Plumpton Corr. (Camden), p. xcviii. Wee understand … your true mind & faithful liegiance towards.
c. 1500. Melusine, lvii. 338. ‘By god,’ said geffray, ‘gramercy, Fayre lordes, and I am redy to receyue you to your lygeauns.’ And þenne they dyde to hym hommage.
1589. Puttenham, Eng. Poesie, II. xi. (Arb.), 112. She enuirons her people round, Retaining them by oth and liegeance.
a. 1641. Bp. Mountagu, Acts & Mon. (1642), 93. They owe him no leigance, nor obedience.
1660. R. Coke, Justice Vind., 49. How vile would this man make Majesty! how light the ligeance which is due not only by nature, but by oath from all subjects to their rightful Soveraigns?
a. 1670. Hacket, Abp. Williams, II. (1692), 191. None sate there before he had taken an oath to bear true ligance to him and his heirs, and to defend his Majesty against all perils.
1689. Consid. conc. Succession & Alleg., 19. Allegiance or Ligeance with respect to the King (for anciently even Inferiour Lords had their Liege-men) imports … That [etc.].
1839–44. Tupper, Proverb. Philos. (1852), 134. Ligeance we swear to our God, and ligeance well we have kept.
occas. in pl. 1523. Ld. Berners, Froiss., I. ccxii. 258. The frenche kynge … shall rendre and delyuer to the … kynge of Englande … the honours, regalities, obeisaunces, homages, liegeaunces … that apperteyneth … to the crowne of Fraunce.
1658. Cleveland, Rustick Rampant, Wks. (1687), 471. By the Faith and Liegances which to us ye owe.
† b. Phr. To do or make (one’s) ligeance. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls), VIII. 55. Þat he and his successoures and men of Scotlond schulde doo homage legeaunce and feaute to the kynges of Engelond.
1395. Purvey, Remonstr. (1851), 80. Agens here ligeaunce and solempne ooth maad to king Jon.
c. 1440. Partonope, 2680. The king of fraunce To whom he had made his lyegeaunce.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xlvi. 446. Therto ben ȝe bownden Echon be the legaunce ȝe han me don.
1651. W. G., trans. Cowel’s Inst., 23. The next capitall Lord to whom her Ancestors had done legiance.
2. The sway or jurisdiction of a sovereign over his subjects or ‘lieges’; the territories subject to a sovereign. Now only in legal use.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1270. We … buþ Charlis men þe Emperere & vnder his liegeaunce.
1390. Gower, Conf., III. 176. What is a king in his ligance, Wher that ther is no lawe in londe?
1447. Act 25 Hen. VI., in Bolton, Stat. Irel. (1621), 9. Any such Irish enemies so received to the legeance of our Souveraigne Lord.
1609. Ld.-Chanc. Ellesmere, Sp. on Post-nati, 5. Hee was borne … within the ligeance of his said Maiestie.
1628. Coke, On Litt., 129. He may be born out of the realm of England yet within the liegeance.
1652. Needham, trans. Selden’s Mare Cl., Ep. Ded. The Seas of Engl. were ever under the Legiance of our Kings.
1765. Blackstone, Comm., I. 366. Such as are born within the dominions of the crown of England, that is, within the ligeance, or as it is generally called, the allegiance of the king.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), III. 341. All persons born out of the ligeance of the Crown of England.
1832. Austin, Jurispr. (1879), II. xxxi. 570. An alien enemy, living within the ligeance of our King.
