other customary part of the profits of certain cities, boroughs,
or other places within his earldom. For an example of the
possessions of earls in ancient times, Ethelred had to him and
his heirs the whole Kingdom of Mercia, containing three or four
counties; and there were others that had little less.

King's thane was also an honorary title, to which he was
qualified that had five hides of land held immediately of the
King by service of personal attendance; insomuch that if a churl
or countryman had thriven to this proportion, having a church, a
kitchen, a bell-house (that is, a hall with a bell in it to call
his family to dinner), a borough-gate with a seat (that is, a
porch) of his own, and any distinct office in the King's court,
then was he the King's thane. But the proportion of a hide-land,
otherwise called caruca, or a plough-land, is difficult to be
understood, because it was not certain; nevertheless it is
generally conceived to be so much as may be managed with one
plough, and would yield the maintenance of the same, with the
appurtenances in all kinds.

The middle thane was feudal, but not honorary; he was also
called a vavasor, and his lands a vavasory, which held of some
mesne lord, and not immediately of the King.

Possessions and their tenures, being of this nature, show the
balance of the Teuton monarchy, wherein the riches of earls were
so vast that to arise from the balance of their dominion to their
power, they were not only called reguli, or little kings, but
were such indeed; their jurisdiction being of two sorts, either
that which was exercised by them in the court of their countries,