Love and lordship like no fellowship.

The saying presents romantic attachment and the exercise of authority as possessive states. Each is portrayed as resisting an equal rival, partner, or divided claim.

It cautions that intimacy and command can be unsettled by competition: affection may demand exclusivity, while power may resist sharing control or status. It is not a universal rule for relationships or shared leadership.

Use it in literary or reflective discussion of rivalry in a close attachment or a leader’s reluctance to divide authority, not as direct practical advice. Its compressed, archaic wording may require explanation for contemporary readers.