Reprobatory

[H]e brings out a crumpled piece of paper, and displays it in approved Dr. Marigold style, "Here's what the arsenic or strychnine was in, but now it is mixed with the dishes, knives, forks, spoons, biscuits, beef, &c.; in fact, our pantry and store-room are worse than a score of Pritchard's." Grand chorus, reprobatory of Max, who takes it very coolly, and says he daresays Dick has just spilt it, "his fingers being all thumbs," but never to mind, as he won't use any of the things till he has cleaned out the chest.

There is yet another proverb in this stanza, confirmed by its presence in [Joseph] Morawski’s collection (1457): “En doit faire quant leus et tens en est,” a northern French version of what Peire Vidal states in the third line of this reprobatory strophe: “It is better to act while life is present.”