12. _his day_, his term of life, his lifetime. So in Hamlet, v. 1. 315, the
'dog will have his _day_.' Hence _after his day_ is, practically, after his
death.
14. 'This appears to mean, that the knight had himself acquired his land,
and held it in fee simple (_verrey purchas_), not entailed nor settled; and
that, consequently, he had a right to divide it among his children as he
pleased. The _housbond_ in this case means a man who was kept at home
looking after his domestic business and his estates, and who could not be
_wyde-wher_,' i. e. often far from home; note by Mr. Jephson. See ll. 58-61
below, which prove that the knight had partly inherited his land, and
partly won it by military service. Cf. Chaucer, Prol. 256, 319. In the
Freres Tale (D. 1449) we find:--
'And here I ryde about my _purchasing_,
To wite wher men wolde yeve me any-thing;
My _purchas_ is theffect of al my rente.'
I cannot think that Dr. Morris is right in explaining _purchasing_ by
'prosecution'; see _Purchas_ in the Glossary.