Pure Villenage

A base tenure, where a man holds upon terms of doing whatsoever is commanded of him, nor knows in the evening what is to be done in the morning, and is always bound to an uncertain service. 1 Steph. Comm. (7th Ed.) 188. PURGATION (Lat. purgo; from purum and ago, to make clean). The clearing one's self of an offense charged, by denying the guilt on oath or affirmation. Canonical purgation was the act of justifying one's self, when accused of some offense, in the presence of a number of persons worthy of credit, generally twelve, who would swear they believed the accused. See "Compurgator." Vulgar purgation consisted in superstitious trials by hot and cold water, by fire, by hot irons, by battle, by corsned, etc. In modern times, a man may purge himself of an offense in some cases where the facts are within his own knowledge; for example, when a man is charged with a contempt of court, he may purge himself of such contempt by swearing that in doing the act charged he did not intend to commit a contempt.

A base tenure, where a man holds upon terms of doing whatsoever is commanded of him, nor knows in the evening what is to be done in the morning, and is always bound to an uncertain service. 1 Steph. Comm. (7th Ed.) 188.

Defined under Villenage in Black's Law Dictionary.