Blacks Law Dict. 1st ed

PURSUE

968

PURGATION

PURLIEU-MEN. Those who hav« ground within the purlieu to the yearly value of 40s. a year freehold are licensed to hunt in their own purlieus. Manw. o. 20, § 8. PURPARTY. A part in a division; a share. The part or share of an estate held by coparceners, which is by partition allotted to them. Cowell. PURPORT. Meaning; import; substan tial meaning; substance. The "purport" of an insti ument means the substance of it as it appears on the face of the instrument, and is distinguished from "tenor," which means an exact copy. 2 East, P. C. 983; Whart. Crim. Law, 83. PURPRESTURE. A purpresture may be defined as an inclosuie by a private paity of a part of that which belongs to and ought to be open and free to the enjoyment of the public at large. It is not necessarily a public nuisance. A public nuisance must be some thing which subjects the public to some de gree of inconvenience or annoyance; but a puipresture may exist without putting the public to any inconvenience whatever. 34 Mich. 462. PURPRISE. A close or inclosure; as also the whole compass of a manor. PURPURE, or PORPRIN. A term used in heraldry; the color commonly called "purple," expressed in engravings by lines in bend sinister. In the arms of princes it was formerly called "mercury," and in those of peers "amethyst." PURSE. A purse, prize, or premium is ordinarily some valuable thing, offered by a person for the doing of something by others, into strife for which he does not enter. He has not a chance of gaining the thing offered; and, if he abide by his offer, that he must lose it and give it over to some of those con tending for it is reasonably cei tain. 81 N. Y. 539. PURSER. The person appointed by the master of a ship or vessel, whose duty it is to take care of the ship's books, in which every thing on boaid is inserted, as well the names of manners as the articles of mer> chandise shipped. Roccius, Ins. note. PURSUE. To follow a matter judicially, as a complaining party. To puisue a warrant or authority, in the old books, is to execute it or cany it out. Co. Litt. 52a.

In the evening what is to be done in the morning, and is always bound to an uncer tain service. 1 Steph. Comm. (7th Ed.) 188. PURGATION. The act of cleansing or exonerating one's self of a crime, accusation, or suspicion of guilt, by denying the charge on oath or by ordeal. Canonical purgation was made by the par ty's taking his own oath that he was inno cent of the charge, which was supported by the oath of twelve compurgators, who swore they believed he spoke the truth. To this succeeded the mode of purgation by the sin gle oath of the party himself, called the "oath exofficio," of which the modern defendant's oath in chancery is a modification. 3 Bl. Comm. 447; 4 Bl. Comm. 368. Vulgar purgation consisted in ordeals or trials by hot and cold water, by fire, by hot irons, by battel, by corsned, etc. PURGE. To cleanse; to clear; to clear or exonerate from some charge or imputation of guilt, or from a contempt. PURGE DES HYPOTHEQUES. In French law. An expression used to describe the act of freeing an estate from the mort gages and privileges with which it is charged, observing the formalities prescribed by law. Duverger. PURGED OF PARTIAL COUNSEL. In Scotch practice. Cleared of having been partially advised. A term applied to the pre liminary examination of a witness, in which he is sworn and examined whether he has re ceived any bribe or promise of reward, or has been told what to say, or whether he bears malice or ill will to any of the parties. Bell. PURGING A TORT is like the rati fication of a wrongful act by a person who has power of himself to lawfully do the act. But, unlike ratification, the purging of the tort may take place even after commence ment of the action. 1 Brod. & B. 282. PURGING CONTEMPT. Atoning for, or clearing one's self from, contempt of court, (q. v.) It is generally done by apologizing and paying fees, and is generally admitted after a moderate time in proportion to the magnitude of the offense. PURLIEU. In English law. A space of land near a royal forest, which, being severed from it, was made purlieu; that is, pure or free from the forest laws.

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