This last notice will explain in some degree what the burden termed _Cain_ or _Can_ really was, and how it was exacted. It consisted of a portion of the produce of the land, in grain when it was arable land, and in cattle and pigs when pasture land. It was in fact the outcome of the _Bestighi_ or food-rent of the Irish laws, and the _Gwestva_ of the Welsh laws, paid by every occupier of land to his superior. Over the whole of Scotland, except in Lothian, it was a recognised burden upon the crown lands and upon all land not held by feudal tenure, but it ceased as soon as the possessor of the land was feudally invested. Thus we find in the Moray Chartulary an agreement between the bishop of Moray and Thomas de Thirlestan, who had received a feudal grant of the lands of Abertarff, regarding a half-davach of land, which the bishop asserted belonged to the church, and regarding the tithes of the royal _Can_ payable from the lands of Abertarff before his feudal investiture (_ante infeodationem_). There is a similar agreement between the bishop and James, son of Morgund, regarding certain lands in his fief of Abernethy, and regarding the tithes of the _Can_ which was wont to be paid to the king from these lands before his feudal investiture, and another between the bishop and Gilbert the Hostiary regarding the tithes of the _Can_ which he was wont to pay annually to the king from the lands of Strathbroc and Buleshe before his feudal investiture (_ante infeodationem_).[289] The _Can_ or _Chan_ was so termed from the Gaelic word _Cain_, the primary meaning of which was ‘law.’ It was the equivalent of the Latin word _canon_, and like it was applied to any fixed payment exigible by law.[290] [Sidenote: Conveth.] Conveth was the Irish _Coinmhedha_ or Coigny, derived, according to O’Donovan, from _Coinmhe_, which signifies feast or refection. It was the _Dovraeth_ of the Welsh laws, and was founded upon the original right which the leaders in the tribe had to be supported by their followers. It came to signify a night’s meal or refection given by the occupiers of the land to their superior when passing through his territory, which was exigible four times in the year, and when the tribe territory came to be recognised as crown land, it became a fixed food contribution charged upon each ploughgate of land. Thus in the charter by King Malcolm the Fourth, confirming the foundation of the abbey of Scone, he grants to the canons from each ploughgate of the whole land of the church of Scone in each year, at the Feast of All Saints, for their _Coneveth_, one cow and two pigs, and four _Camni_ of meal, and ten threaves of oats, and ten hens and two hundred eggs, and ten bundles of candles, and four pounds of soap, and twenty half meales of cheese.[291]