Who wrote A bird in the hand is worth two bush?

There is no one definitive author of the proverb "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush." It is a common proverb of English origin, and similar proverbs have existed in many other languages and cultures for centuries. The earliest known written record of the proverb in English is from John Heywood's 1546 collection of proverbs, "A Dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the englishe tongue," where it appears as "A byrde in the hande is worth two in yº wood." The proverb is also found in William Shakespeare's play The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it appears as "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."