In whatever form the usufruct may have been granted, it was accompanied by various settled burthens. In the first place were the inevitable charges from which no land was ever relieved; namely military service, alluded to by Beda, and no doubt in early times performed in person: the repair of roads, bridges and fortifications. But besides these, there were dues payable to the king, and the geréfa; watch and ward on various occasions; aid in the royal hunting; convoy of messengers going and coming on the public service, from one royal vill to another; harbouring of the king, his messengers and huntsmen; lastly provision for his hawks, hounds and horses. In addition to these, there were heavy payments in kind, which were to be delivered at the royal vills, to each of which, various districts were apparently made appurtenant, for this purpose; and on which stores, so duly delivered, the king and his household in some degree depended for subsistence. These were comprised under the name Cyninges-feorm, or _Firma regis_. It is from the occasional exemptions granted by the authority of the king and his witan, that we learn what burthens the folcland was subject to: it may therefore be advantageous to cite a few examples, which will make the details clear. Between 791 and 796, eighty hides of land at Westbury and Hanbury were relieved by Offa from the dues to kings, dukes and their subordinates; except these payments, that is to say, the _gafol_ at Westbury (sixty hides), two tuns full of bright ale, and a comb full of smooth ale, and a comb full of Welsh ale, and seven oxen, and six wethers, and forty cheeses, and six langðero (?), and thirty ambers of rough corn, and four ambers of meal, to the royal vill[530]. ----- Footnote 530: Cod. Dipl. No. 166. Here, by the way, the comb is used as a liquid measure; very probably of thirty-two gallons, the amount of the old barrel of ale, (the present barrel is thirty-six gallons). So to this day the hogshead is sixty-four gallons or twice thirty-two, the comb; as the quarter is sixty-four gallons, or two combs of dry measure. Even now in some parts of Surrey and Sussex, the peasants use peck for two gallons of liquid measure: I have heard them speak of a peck, and even half a bushel, of gin, brandy, beer, etc. ----- In 863, an estate at Marsham was to pay by the year, twenty staters of cheese, forty lambs, forty fleeces, and two days’ _pastus_[531] or feorm, which last might be commuted for thirty silver shillings (_argentea_)[532]. ----- Footnote 531: The _pastus regis_ is the _gite du roi_ well known in French history. Footnote 532: Cod. Dipl. No. 288, see also No. 281. -----