Pone Per Vadium

In English practice. An obsolete writ to the sheriff to summon the defendant to appear and answer the plaintiff's suit, on his putting in sureties to prosecute. It was so called from the words of the writ, "pone per vadium et salvos plegios," "put by gage and safe pledges, A. B., the defendant." It issued out of the common pleas, being grounded on the nonappearance of the defendant at the return of the original writ, and commanded the sheriff to take certain of his goods, which he should forfeit if he did not appear or make him find sureties. 3 Bl. Comm. 210.