'Abundant, if Somewhat Precious Wit'

In Wednesday’s post I quoted an 1895 profile of Max Beerbohm in which the anonymous writer referred to Beerbohm’s reputed “passion for paradox and marivaudage.” This was the first time I had ever published a word with a definition unknown to me: marivaudage. I couldn’t even guess its meaning. I checked the OED but left it undefined because I was curious to see the reaction of readers, most of whom I assumed would likewise be ignorant of its meaning. As Nige put it in a comment: “Marivaudage! There’s a wonderful word, and new to me.” When I encounter a previously unknown word I normally take a guess based on context then consult the dictionary. Marivaudage left me baffled. The OED: “Exaggerated sentiment expressed in affected language, after the style of Marivaux; a verbose and affected style.” Another perplexity: I recognized the name “Marivaux” but had never read any of his work and wasn’t even certain when he was alive. Pierre Carlet de Chamblain de Marivaux (1688-1763) was a French…