Green’s Dictionary of Slang

the payment of money, cash down.

1573		T. Tusser Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie (1878) 22: Use (legem pone) to paie at thy daie, but vse not (Oremus) for often delaie.
1592		G. Harvey New Letter of Noteable Contents 18: I cannot but listen unto them with an itching eare, [...] but, without Legem pone, wordes are winde and without actuall performance, all nothing .
1618		G. Mynshul Essayes of Prison n.p.: All their speech is legem pone, or else with their ill custome they will detaine thee.
1638		T. Heywood The vvise-woman of Hogsdon n.p.: Iste, Ista Istud, will doe mee any good, to giue mee legem pone in Gold or in monie.
1641		‘Pecunia praevalens’ in Wardroper (1969) 141: ‘Hands off, sir sauce-box! Think you Mistress Phips / Allows such lobs as you to touch her lips?’ / But then ’tis questioned further: ‘If you bring her / Some legem pone, that’s another thing, sir’.
1654		J. Mennes Recreation for ingenious head-peeces n.p.: Hand off, sir sauce-box! think you Mistris Phips / Allows such lobs as you to touch her lips? / But then ’tis question’d further; if you bring her / Some legem pone, that's another thing Sir.
1662		G. Ruggle Ignoramus n.p.: Here is the legem pone, Here are the six hundred Crowns,.
1678		E. Ravenscroft The English lawyer 21: Enter Ignoramus, with Money. Ign. Here is the Legem pone.
1694		Motteux [trans.] Gargantua & Pantagruel bks 1V & V 48: They neither invited us to eat or drink, but with a multiplyed train of scrapes and cringes said they were all at our service, for the Legem pone.