Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Soon, 1) shortly, early, quickly, before long: “s. she stops his lips,” Ven. 46. “which the hot tyrant stains and s. bereaves,” Ven. 46 Lucr. 23. Sonn. 120, 11. Pilgr. 205. Tp. II, 1, 191. Gent. I, 3, 72. II, 2, 4. III, 1, 390. Wiv. II, 2, 327. Meas. III, 1, 32. Err. I, 1, 49. Err. I, 1, 49 I, 2, 103. II, 1, 99. LLL II, 112. Merch. I, 2, 9. Tw. III, 1, 159 (more s., in rhyming). H6A V, 1, 15. H6B I, 4, 17 “(the --er the better).” Troil. II, 1, 18. Rom. V, 1, 60 (M. Edd. soon-speeding) etc. “no --er . . . but:” Sonn. 129, 5. Gent. IV, 4, 9. As V, 2, 36. H4A I, 2, 193. H5 I, 1, 25 “(but that).” V, 2, 257. H6B IV, 9, 3. Mcb. I, 2, 29. V, 8, 41. Hml. IV, 1, 29 etc. “so s. as:” Wiv. IV, 5, 68. Tw. III, 4, 195 (cf. So). “so s. was she along as he was down,” Ven. 43. “all so s. as:” Rom. I, 1, 140.
2) easily, readily, likely: “small lights are s. blown out,” Lucr. 647. “thou wouldst as s. go kindle fire with snow as seek to quench the fire of love with words,” Gent. II, 7, 19. “you are already love's firm votary and cannot s. revolt,” III, 2, 59. “if any man may, you may as s. as any,” Wiv. II, 2, 246. “let us withdraw together, and we may s. our satisfaction have touching that point,” Meas. I, 1, 83. “if you handled her privately, she would --er confess,” V, 277. “lest that your goods too s. be confiscate,” Err. I, 2, 2. “the plainer dealer, the --er lost,” II, 2, 89. “you sent me for a rope's end as s.” IV, 1, 98. “devils --est tempt, resembling spirits of light,” LLL IV, 3, 257. Mids. III, 2, 52. As I, 3, 112. III, 2, 61. Shr. II, 146. All's I, 3, 40. R2 I, 1, 101 (M. Edd. soon-believing). H5 II, 2, 34. H6AV, 5, 47. H6BIV, 1, 127. H6CIV, 7, 62. R3 III, 4, 9. Troil. II, 1, 17. Troil. II, 1, 17 Rom. I, 1, 213. Caes. I, 2, 201. Hml. III, 1, 112. Ant. III, 13, 24. Cymb. IV, 2, 385. Per. IV, 1, 3 etc.
3) s. at night == this very night, so early as to-day in the evening: “we'll have a posset for 't s. at night,” Wiv. I, 4, 8. “come to me s. at night,” II, 2, 295. II, 2, 295 “s. at night I'll send him certain word of my success,” Meas. I, 4, 88. “I shall be sent for s. at night,” H4B V, 5, 96. “you shall bear the burden s. at night,” Rom. II, 5, 78. “say if I shall see you s. at night,” Oth. III, 4, 198. Similarly: “s. at five o' clock I'll meet with you,” Err. I, 2, 26. “and s. at supper-time I'll visit you,” III, 2, 179. “s. at supper shalt thou see Lorenzo,” Merch. II, 3, 5. “come to me s. at after supper,” R3 IV, 3, 31 (Ff s., and after supper).
Superl. --est adjectively: “the gentler gamester is the --est winner,” H5 III, 6, 120. “make your --est haste,” Ant. III, 4, 27.