Author, 1) he or she who first causes or creates any thing: “he's a. of thy slander,” Ven. 1006. thou (sc. Lucrece), “the a. of their obloquy,” Lucr. 523. Lucr. 523 Ado V, 2, 101. LLL IV, 3, 359. Tw. V, 361. R2 I, 3, 69. H6C IV, 6, 18. H8 II, 1, 139. Cor. V, 3, 36. Hml. IV, 5, 80. “the Gods of Rome forefend I should be a. to dishonour you,” Tit. I, 435. “truth's authentic a.” Troil. III, 2, 189 (he that is the source and prototype of fidelity).
Applied to things, == cause: “you may call the business of the master the a. of the servant's damnation,” H5 IV, 1, 162. “that which is the strength of their amity shall prove the immediate a. of their variance,” Ant. II, 6, 138.
2) writer: “where is any a. in the world,” LLL IV, 3, 312. “politic --s,” Tw. II, 5, 175. “our humble a.” H4B V, 5, 143. “their own --s affirm,” H5 I, 2, 43. our bending a. hath pursued the story, H5 Epil. H5 I, 2, 43 “not in confidence of --'s pen,” H5 I, 2, 43. “at the --'s drift,” Troil. III, 3, 113. Hml. II, 2, 464. Hml. II, 2, 464.