Who said “The law is a sort of hocus-pocus science, that smiles in yer face while it picks yer…”?

Verified

Charles Macklin. A published source records them saying or writing it.

SourceLove à la Mode (1759), Act ii. Sc. 1.

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“The law is a sort of hocus-pocus science, that smiles in yer face while it picks yer pocket: and the glorious uncertainty of it is of more use to the professors than the justice of it.”
VerifiedLove à la Mode (1759), Act ii. Sc. 1. · evidenceLaw and Lawyers
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Cite this quote

For academic work, cite the original where you can: Love à la Mode (1759), Act ii. Sc. 1..

APA

Macklin, C. (n.d.). The law is a sort of hocus-pocus science, that smiles in yer face while it picks yer pocket: and the glorious uncertainty of it is of more use to the professors than the justice of it. [Quotation]. Famous Quotations Network. Retrieved October 24, 2026, from https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15956-the-law-is-a-sort-of-hocus-pocus/

MLA

Macklin, Charles. “The law is a sort of hocus-pocus science, that smiles in yer face while it picks yer pocket: and the glorious uncertainty of it is of more use to the professors than the justice of it.” Famous Quotations Network, https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15956-the-law-is-a-sort-of-hocus-pocus/. Accessed 24 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Macklin, Charles. “The law is a sort of hocus-pocus science, that smiles in yer face while it picks yer pocket: and the glorious uncertainty of it is of more use to the professors than the justice of it.” Famous Quotations Network. Accessed October 24, 2026. https://www.famous-quotations.com/quotes/15956-the-law-is-a-sort-of-hocus-pocus/.