Footnote 556: For example, Cnut, i. § 14, 15, 16. Thorpe, i. 368, etc. Footnote 557: For example, Æðelr. ix. § 6. Thorpe, i. 342. Æðelr. vi. § 51. Thorpe, i. 328, etc. ----- 8. _The king and the witan had power to levy taxes for the public service._ I have observed in an earlier chapter of this work that the estates of the freeman were bound to make certain settled payments. These may at some time or other have been voluntary, but there can be no doubt that they did ultimately become compulsory payments. They are the cyninges gafol, payable on the hide, and may possibly be the cyninges útware, and cyninges geban of the laws, the _contributions directes_ by which a man’s station in society was often measured. Now in the time of Ini, we find the witan regulating the amount of this tax or gafol, in barley, at six pounds weight upon the hide[558]. Again, under the extraordinary circumstances of the Danish war under Æðelred, when it became almost customary to buy off the invaders, we find them authorising the levy of large sums for that purpose[559], and also for the maintenance of fleets[560]: these payments, once known by the name of Danegeld, and which in 1018 amounted to the enormous sum of 82,500 pounds[561], were after thirty-nine years’ continuance finally abolished by Eádweard[562]. ----- Footnote 558: Ini, § 59. Thorpe, i. 140. Wyrhta like the factus (= Mansus) of the Franks appears to be the Mansio or Hide. But the amounts do not concern us at present. Footnote 559: Chron. Sax. an. 1006. The sum raised was thirty-six thousand pounds. Chron. an. 1012. In this year forty-eight thousand pounds were paid. Footnote 560: Chron. Sax. an. 1008. A ship from every three hundred hides; and a helmet and coat-of-mail from every eight hides,—a very heavy amount of shipmoney. Footnote 561: Chron. Sax. an. 1018. Footnote 562: Ibid. an. 1052. ----- 9. _The king and his witan had power to raise land and sea forces when occasion demanded._