Speed, vb. (impf. and partic. sped; partic. speeded == hastened in Meas. IV, 5, 10 and H4B IV, 3, 38) 1) intr. a) to make haste: and early in the morning --eth away, Lucr. Arg. H4B IV, 3, 38 “your wit's too hot, it --s too fast,” LLL II, 120. “--s from me,” Wint. I, 2, 373. “we must s. for France,” John I, 178. II, 297. H4A I, 3, 283. IV, 4, 35. H4B IV, 3, 38. “s. thee straight,” Cor. IV, 5, 93 (thee == thou). == to go, to travel in general: “thus can my love excuse the slow offence of my dull bearer when from thee I s.” Sonn. 51, 2. “not long before your highness sped to France,” H8 I, 2, 151.
b) to fare, to have any fortune, good or bad: “O cruel --ing!” Pilgr. 269. “you shall know how I s.” Wiv. II, 2, 278. III, 5, 137. “how s. you with my daughter?” Shr. II, 283. “it were impossible I should s. amiss,” Shr. II, 283 “how I have sped among the clergymen,” John IV, 2, 141. “I marvel how he sped,” H6A II, 1, 48. Troil. III, 1, 155. “how you shall s. in your journey's end,” Cymb. V, 4, 190. Of things, == to fall out: “I'll prove him, s. how it will,” Cor. V, 1, 61.
c) to succeed; 1) applied to things: which (plot) “if it s., is wicked meaning in a lawful deed,” All's III, 7, 44. “an honest tale --s best being plainly told,” R3 IV, 4, 358. “have got a --ing trick to lay down ladies,” H8 I, 3, 40. “if this letter s., Edmund the base shall top the legitimate,” Lr. I, 2, 19. 2) to persons: “my rams s. not,” Pilgr. 247 (do not thrive). “I would not have him s.” Gent. IV, 4, 112. “and sped you, sir?” Wiv. III, 5, 67. Merch. V, 115. Shr. I, 2, 247. II, 303. All's III, 6, 72. Wint. I, 2, 389. III, 3, 46 (thee == thou). H6C IV, 1, 58. R3 V, 3, 102. Tit. I, 372. II, 1, 101. Tim. III, 2, 69. Lr. IV, 6, 212. Oth. IV, 1, 109. Ant. II, 3, 35. Per. II, 3, 116.
2) trans. a) to hasten, to dispatch: “she will s. her foot again,” All's III, 4, 37. “it shall be --ed well,” Meas. IV, 5, 10. “where is Montjoy the herald? s. him hence,” H5 III, 5, 36.
Partic. sped == dispatched, undone (German: abgethan): “so be gone: you are sped,” Merch. II, 9, 72. “sped with spavins,” Shr. III, 2, 53. “we three are married, but you two are sped,” V, 2, 185. “I am sped,” Rom. III, 1, 94.
b) to assist, to guard, to favour; used only in expressing wishes; absol.: “God s.” R3 II, 3, 6 (only in Ff). With an object: “heaven so s. me in my time to come,” Wiv. III, 4, 12. “Hymen now with luckier issue s. us,” Ado V, 3, 32. “God s. fair Helena!” Mids. I, 1, 180. “Fortune s. us,” Wint. IV, 4, 681. R2 I, 4, 32. H6A III, 2, 60. H8 I, 1, 52. Caes. I, 2, 88. II, 4, 41. Lr. IV, 6, 212.
Shakespeare Lexicon. Alexander Schmidt. Berlin. Georg Reimer. 1902.
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