452 On Learning and the Arts. 
politeness, but they are not her natural offspring ; 
they have their origin in those interested passions, 
which are common to man in every age and 
nation, and which pure and spotless innocence, 
if it have ever existed on this earth, is alone_ 
exempt from. The savage, the rustic and illiterate 
know to decieve under a fair exterior, whenever a 
selfish end awakes the desire, and deccive as art- 
fully and as successfully as any of the polished 
and lettered sons of modern Europe. Instructed 
by mere interest, they can adopt even a seducive 
address, and in the very form of their natural 
simplicity and bluntness they can still more 
successfully deceive. 
Uncultivated society has its virtues, it has its 
vices also, of which none hold a more distin- 
guished rank than art, deceit, deliberate fraud 
and imposture. The history of the Arabians, 
Tartars, North-Americans and Chinese, who are 
at best only managed and disciplined savages, is 
much more the history of lying and imposture 
than of plain truth and honesty. They can 
practise insinuating address, they can mislead with 
deep designs, and deceive with fatal success. In 
their national treaties they can shroud their in- 
tentions with as artful concealment as the most 
lessoned adept of our diplomatic schools. With 
war in their hearts, they can send an embassador 
of peace, out of whose breast not the shrewdest 
