Why did Henry Fielding change from writing plays to studying law?

Henry Fielding’s transition from playwright to the legal profession was primarily driven by the Licensing Act of 1737. This legislation, which required all new plays to be approved by the lord chamberlain, effectively ended his career as a dramatist after he had repeatedly satirized the prime minister in his works.1

Faced with the loss of his livelihood and the need to support his wife and children, Fielding turned to the law to restore his financial stability. He completed a course of study for the bar in less than three years—a process that typically took six or seven—while simultaneously working as a journalist. Later, after publishing his Miscellanies in 1743, he stepped away from writing for over two years, partly due to disappointment with the financial rewards of authorship and a desire to further dedicate himself to his legal practice.12