338 On Tragical Representations. 
42 
asks the question, Who would ever think of it 
as a good expedient for comforting an afflicted 
parent, to exaggerate, with all the force of ora- 
tory, the irreparable loss, which he has met with 
by the death of a favourite child? Certainly it 
were a ridiculous part to think of comforting the 
parent by any such means; but the idea of com- 
forting by such a procedure, or the idea of com- 
forting in the thing to be illustrated by this allu- 
sion, if any thing be meant to illustrate, are quite 
out of the question. No one ever conceived 
the intention of the tragic poet to be, to comfort 
his audience ; he meansto distress them; he exs 
erts the utmost force of his genius'to distress thems 
to give them as touching a feeling of the sorrow 
which he paints, as mere sympathy is capable of 
receiving. So is it with the deserted parent: 
He who would ingratiate himself with him can- 
not take a more’ effectual means than to catch 
him in his tenderest moments, and with all the 
eloquence of words, expatiate on the virtues, 
the shining qualities, the promising hopes of his 
child. Such a conduct would be unkind; it 
would be cruel; but it would be effectual. He 
would win the heart of the parent, in the very 
moment, and by the very act, which was rending 
itin pieces. It is through the gate of sympathy 
that he gains this access to his heart; the pa- 
rent embraces the man, in whom he acknow- 
