Both Uses of
potentate
in
The Scarlet Letter
- Without taking overmuch upon myself my good word will go far towards gaining any strange gentleman a fair reception from yonder potentate you wot of.†
p. 206.8 *
- I went not into the forest to seek a potentate, neither do I, at any future time, design a visit thither, with a view to gaining the favour of such personage.†
p. 206.9
Definition:
a powerful ruler -- especially one who is unconstrained by law