Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de, one of the most prolific and ingenious writers of the eighteenth century, in the department of comedy and romance, was born at Paris in the year 1688. He was of an ancient family of the robe, which had given magistrates to the parliament of Rouen; and his father, who held the office of director of the mint at Riom, having little fortune to leave him, spared no pains on his education. Young Marivaux early discovered the subtlety and activity of his genius. Before the completion of his studies at college, he had rendered himself the friend of his masters, and the master of his fellow-students. The society to which he was introduced on his entrance into life also contributed to the development of his talents, and exercised a sensible influence on the character of his writings. Admitted into the salons of the opulent females of the capital, who then vied with one another in protecting men of letters, he there contracted that affectation of wit, of which the comedies of Molière had not yet entirely cured the précieuses of the age. It was there that he became acquainted with Lamotte, and more especially with Fontenelle, whose conversation, though full of attraction, was in no respect calculated to give him a taste for simplicity. Soon afterwards he figured amongst the writers of every description who composed the court of Madame de Tencin, and whom that celebrated woman familiarly called her "beasts." It was in this society that Marivaux, naturally inclined to controversy, and fond of paradox, though otherwise gentle and tolerant, amused himself in tilting with the partisans of antiquity, depreciating poetical talent, and deriding the admirers of Voltaire, whom he cavalierly denominated "an arrant bel-esprit, the perfection of common ideas." He even went so far as to maintain that Molière did not understand comedy, and pretended that he could not conceive how people should admire the Tartuffe and the Femmes-Savantes. In other respects his history presents no remarkable event. Married in 1721, he lost his wife two years afterwards; and his only daughter having embraced a religious life, he thus found himself freed from all family ties, and at liberty to follow the bent of his own inclinations. In fact, it is the same with his life as with his genius; it is altogether composed of little traits, a few of which will serve better to give an idea of his character than the most elaborate general description.

Finding himself one day in a circle where some persons were discussing the nature of the soul, he had the good sense to admit that this question was beyond his comprehension. In this case, said one of the interlocutors, I must go in quest of M. Fontenelle. "You may spare yourself the trouble," replied Marivaux; "Fontenelle has too much sense to know more of the subject than I do." Notwithstanding the extreme sensitiveness of his self-love, he rarely replied to the criticisms which were made on his productions. "I love my own peace above everything," said he; "and I do not wish to disturb that of others." Living in the world at a period when Pyrrhonism in matters of religion was the fashion, he combated, without asperity, but with laudable zeal, that truly deplorable mania. "Ah, my God," said he on one occasion to a freethinker, who was otherwise an honest man, "take not from poor humanity that consolation which Providence has reserved for it. You may do what you will to cast off all thoughts of the other world; you will be saved in spite of yourself." On this subject we may also cite his reply to Lord Bolingbroke, Mark, St., was by birth a Jew, and descended of the tribe of Levi. He was converted by some of the apostles, probably by St Peter, of whom he was the constant companion in all his travels, supplying the place of an amanuensis and interpreter. He was sent by St Peter into Egypt, where he fixed his chief residence at Alexandria St Mark's and the places adjoining, and he was so successful in his ministry that he converted multitudes both of men and women. He afterwards removed westwards, towards the parts of Libya, going through the countries of Marmoria, Pentapolis, and other places, where, notwithstanding the barbarity and idolatry of the inhabitants, he planted the gospel. Upon his return to Alexandria, he arranged the affairs of that church, and there suffered martyrdom. About Easter, at the time when the solemnities of Serapis were celebrated, the idolatrous populace, excited to vindicate the honour of their deity, broke in upon St Mark, whilst he was performing divine service, and binding him with cords, dragged him through the streets, and thrust him into prison, where in the night he had the comfort of a divine vision. Next day the enraged multitude used him in the same manner, till he expired under their hands. Some add, that they burned his body, and that the Christians decently interred his remains near the place where he used to preach. This happened in the year of Christ 68. Some writers assert that the remains of St Mark were afterwards translated with great pomp from Alexandria to Venice, of which he was constituted the tutelar saint and patron. This apostle is author of one of the four gospels inscribed with his name.

St Mark's Gospel, a canonical book of the New Testament, being one of the four gospels. St Mark wrote his gospel at Rome, where he accompanied St Peter in the year of Christ 44. Tertullian and others pretend that St Mark was no more than an amanuensis to St Peter, who dictated this gospel to him; but others affirm that he wrote it after St Peter's death. Nor are the learned less divided as to the language in which it was written; some affirming that it was composed in Greek, and others in Latin. Several of the ancient heretics received only the gospel of St Mark; and others, amongst the Catholics, rejected the last twelve verses of this gospel. The gospel of St Mark is properly an abridgment of that of St Matthew.