Jew Cisian dozen

[kwaw]

Just curious, does anyone know what this phrase Jew Cisian dozen means of refers too?

From the register of stationers:

A.D. 1588, October 18.
ALLOWANCE by the Stationers' Company to RAFFE or RALPH
BOWES. " The whole sute of mouldes belonging to the olde "
fourme of plaieinge cardes, commonly called the French cardes, "
with the Jew Cisian dozen, and all other thinges thereunto "
belonging. Item.—The newe addition of the whole sute of "
new mouldes belonging to the olde and newc forme of playeinge "
cards, commonly called the French cards, with the Jew Cisian "
dozen, and all other thinges thereunto belonginge." (b)
A.D. 1589, January 8.
ALLOWANCE by the Stationers' Company to RAFFE or RALPH
BOWES (ante, p. 50) to be printed, " the wholle sute of carved "
mouldes in woode or caste in mettall belonging to the oulde "
fourme of playing cardes, commonly called the French carde, "
with the Jew Cisian dozen, and all other thinges thereunto "
belonging.'V) .

R. Bowes had also received a previous patent for importation of playing cards:

1571. " A patent to Rafife Bowes, and Thomas Beddingfield Efquiers to import Playing Cards into this kingdom for 12 years and difpofe of them in large or fmall quantities, notwithftanding any Act, &c. formerly made.

Kwaw

 

[le pendu]

???

This might be interesting!

Wish I could help, but eager to hear the reply.

 

[Rosanne]

pure speculation:

Trump cards from Italy south of River Po = Jew's Trump(not the musical instrument- but card of trickery)

~Rosanne
I should add the 'Jew' is from Jeu perdit (play lost) not Judiaism- so I think it should have read Jeu Trompe/trump (Gambler's call) Might have been a play on the Le Fou though.

 

[kwaw]

pure speculation:

Trump cards from Italy south of River Po = Jew's Trump(not the musical instrument- but card of trickery)

Suggesting Jeu Trompe or 'trick game' rather than Triomphe = game of triumphs. Interesting that 'trump' is taken as meaning 'trick' which suggests an etymology of trump with trompe, to deceive, rather than triumphe; an illusion also related in english game terminology in that one wins or takes a trick. There are some illusions in English plays from Shakespeare and others that indicate 'trump' in english, though derived from 'triomphe', became as a pun with 'trompe' to mean deceive or trick, being able to decieve or 'to bluff' being as highly rated skill of card gaming.

I should add the 'Jew' is from Jeu perdit (play lost) not Judiaism- so I think it should have read Jeu Trompe/trump (Gambler's call) Might have been a play on the Le Fou though.

I think your spot on with the suggestion that 'Jew' here is probably a corruption of 'Jeu' meaning to play, game or deck. Huck has made to me the plausible suggestion elsewhere that "Jew Cisian dozen" is a corruption of 'Jeu soixante-dix-huit', a phrase still used in France to designate a pack of tarots ; just as, in contradistinction, the pack of common playing cards is termed jeu de cinquante-deux."

Kwaw

 

[Rosanne]

I think also Kwaw- that there could be an alluding to 'Trumpeting' or crowing when you won. Something to do with the original Jew's Harp or Jews Trumpet the whistle when you won. The 'Cisian' I wonder if it came from the latin word 'Cis' meaning 'this side of' - something like 'play this way with deceit'. Jeu cis duperie ~Rosanne

 

[Rosanne]

I just found out something interesting-
We say 'nineteen to the dozen' when speaking about talking very fast; well in old french they said 'cinqan au dousaine (fifty to the dozen) ~Rosanne

 

[OnePotato]

From: Notes and Queries,
http://books.google.com/books?id=sp...lFA&sig=945yQ40Jb1YGxha1Muey4fewuug#PPA142,M1

asterisk footnote, bottom of page 142:

Jeu sixieme dozen? Sixieme (pronounced: siziem) is a sequence of six cards.
A jeu sixieme dozen, (or, Jew Cisian dozen) would therefore be two such sequences of six.

To clarify the basics-
He's referring to a set, or suite, of woodblocks.
(Also refers to cast metal printing blocks.)
He's protecting the design of them, as if they are a literary work.

He is describing the makeup of the "French" cards as the portion of the deck known as the "Jew Cisian dozen" plus the rest of the deck, or "all other thinges thereunto"

I think he's probably simply talking about the additional trump designs.
Or perhaps, by Pinkerton's (I originally wrote "Albuquerque's" here by accident.) interpretation, suits with two sequences of 6. (?)

Or, is it perhaps a "baker's dozen" of 13?

EDITED TO CORRECT REFERENCE

 

[kwaw]

Huck has made to me the plausible suggestion elsewhere that "Jew Cisian dozen" is a corruption of 'Jeu soixante-dix-huit', a phrase still used in France to designate a pack of tarots ; just as, in contradistinction, the pack of common playing cards is termed jeu de cinquante-deux."

Kwaw

My mistake, Huck was actually quoting Pinkerton's response to the same question:

http://books.google.com/books?id=sp...&as_brr=1&ei=FOP-RvP2LKjA7ALJvNHlDQ#PPA294,M1

Kwaw

 

[Rosanne]

While I totally accept that the Jew Cisian dozen is a corruption of the French term for Tarot Jeu soixante-dix-huit it did occur to me there might be another explanation to be considered. Looking at the the words themselves- and as I said before 'cis- ian' meaning location or time i.e pre- or after- or below and Jeu meaning play, maybe this term means 12 before play = instructions on the French game of Tarot?
It seems odd that one would say the French playing cards with the Jews Cisian dozen.......meaning another type of French playing cards also and all other things belonging. Badly worded but I mean today you might say..........
"Moulds for French Playing cards along with the instructions and all things pertaining to these French Cards".(to protect oneself like a patent). Just a thought ~Rosanne

 

[willowfox]

Jeu means to play, like in children playing

Jeux plays

Juif means jew or jewish


Jew cisian dozen play 60 X 12 = 720?