For to bear all naked truths,
And to envisage circumstance, all calm,
That is the top of sovereignty.

The lines praise a kind of inner kingship: the capacity to face reality without protective illusions (“naked truths”) and to look steadily at events (“circumstance”) with composure. “Sovereignty” here is not political power but self-mastery—an emotional and intellectual steadiness that can endure disappointment, ambiguity, and pain without denial or panic. In Keatsian terms, it aligns with his admiration for a mind able to remain open and resilient in the face of uncertainty, valuing clear perception and calm endurance as the highest form of strength.