Excise Book belonging to Robert Burns

Essay upon
Monarchy.
Mankind in all ages,
seem to ^have had a notion,
that always when a
number of men are collected
together and form
a society, some persons
should be superior and in
rank and dignity to
others. In the ruder ages
of society, when men were
obliged to hunt the beasts
of the forest for their subsistence,
or to defend them=
selves against there rapacity,
there only resources
were expertise and dexterity
in these employments;
and hence it naturally
follows, that
the man who was most
skilful in these employments,
was looked upon
to by the rest of his
tribe, as their superior,
& as one who deserved to
govern and to rule over
them, Hence is derived
the first idea of kings.