"'Had better, rather, best, as lief, as well, etc.,' is a form that is explained under this heading. 'Had' stands for 'would have.' The exploded notion that 'had' is a corrupted 'would' must be guarded against.
"'I had as lief not be.' That is—'I would as lief have not (to) be' = 'I would as willingly (or as soon) have non-existence.'
"'Had you rather Cæsar were living——?' 'Would you rather have (would you prefer that) Cæsar were living?'
"'He had better reconsider the matter' is 'he would better have (to) reconsider the matter.'
"'I had rather be a kitten and cry mew
Than one of these same metre ballad-mongers;
I had rather hear a brazen canstick turned.'
"Let us compare this form with another that appears side by side with it in early writers. (Cp. Lat. 'habeo' and 'mihi est.')
"The construction of 'had' is thus illustrated in Chaucer, as in—Nonne Prestes Tale, 300:
"'By God, I hadde levere than my scherte,
That ye hadde rad his legend, as I have.'
"Compare now:
"'Ah me were levere with lawe loose my lyf
Then so to fote hem falle.'—Wright, 'Polit. S.'