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Why did Henry Fielding leave the University of Leiden?
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Henry Fielding
Henry Fielding, frontispiece to Fielding's Works (1st ed., 1762), engraving by James Basire after a drawing by William Hogarth
Henry Fielding left the University of Leiden after 18 months because his father was no longer able to provide him with the necessary financial allowance to continue his studies.1
Upon his return to England, Fielding faced significant financial hardship, famously noting that he had "no choice but to be a hackney-writer or a hackney-coachman." He ultimately chose the former, launching a prolific career as a playwright.1