hard adv. (1 cf. ‘a Trotting Horse, when he sets hard, and goes of an uneasy rate’, Holme's Armoury, 1688).
1.
with an uneasy pace
AYL. III. ii. 334
“trots hard.”
2.
“Go (with),” fare
ill (with), be hurtful or disadvantageous (to) Gent. IV. iv. 2, Mer.V. III. ii. 291,
Shr. IV. ii. 80,
IV. iv. 109
“It shall go if Cambio
go without her,”
3H6 II. vi. 77; “go but” introduces
a statement of what will happen unless overwhelming
difficulties prevent it, esp. “it shall go
but I will” = I will assuredly Gent. I. i. 86, Mer.V. III. i. 78, Ham. III. iv. 207.
3.
with difficulty
3H6 V. i. 70
“The h-er match'd, the
greater victory,”
Oth. I. ii. 10
“I did full hard forbear
him”
; so “hard-a-keeping,” difficult to keep LLL. I. i. 65; “hard-rul'd,” managed
with difficulty H8 III. ii.
102, “hard-believing,” incredulous Ven. 985.
4.
close, near (freq.)
Wiv. IV. ii. 41
“
by,”
IV. ii. 114, “
at door,”
Err. III. ii. 124
“ in the palm of
the hand,”
Ham. I. ii. 179
“it follow'd
upon,”
Oth. II. i. 270
“hard at hand.”
