He had made his debut, as has been said, with _le Pere prudent_ in 1706. This was followed a few years later by three mediocre novels. The first of these, written in 1712, though not published" until 1737, appeared under the several titles of _Pharsamon_, _les Folies romanesques_, and _le Don Quichotte moderne_, and was, as one of the titles discloses, an attack upon the romantic novel, as exemplified in those of Mlle. de Scudery. It must not be considered a parody, but rather a weak imitation of Cervantes' _Don Quijote_. He was no more successful in _les Aventures de..., ou les Effets surprenants de la sympathie_ (1713-1714), written, in much the same style, or in _la Voiture embourbee_,[31] which appeared between the two publications of the former. This latter follows a familiar device: that is to say, one of the personages of the main narrative begins a story. which is continued by another when he reaches the end of his imagination, and so on. The purpose of the story was to turn to ridicule romantic love, but, following the expression of Fournier, it advanced only "cahin-caha, comme le pauvre coche dont il contait les accidents, et il finit par s'embourber avec lui."[32] He somewhat redeemed himself in 1715 with _le Triomphe de Bilboquet, ou la Defaite de l'Esprit, de l'Amour et de la Raison_, a fancy inspired by the game of cup and ball, so much in vogue at that period that it threatened to usurp the time and rights of conversation, and had even made its way upon the stage, in which simple matter Marivaux found occasion for moral observation.