Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

Name: Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
Author: Heinrich Khunrath

The 1599 German text with a new English translation, introduction, glossary, and notes.

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Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica PhilosophorumMagnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 7

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English Page · Branch 14 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 7

TIAE AETERNAE / auch meldung geschehen. Für welche vnaussprechliche gute Gabe Gott dem HERRN höchlich zu dancken / vnd derselben / als einem Spiegel des Erkentnis GOttes; der Natur; vnd Vnserer selbst; von jeden Philosophis / das ist / Weisheit liebenden; vnd als der höchstē Artzney / von allen Medicis, so lieb jhnē GOttes Ehre; jhr selbst eigener; auch des Nechsten nutz vnd wolfart; des Teuffels aber / sampt seiner schupē / trotz / hohn vnd spot ist; vngesparter mühe / Chymischer arbeiten vnd kosten. / (vngeachtet wie schimpfflich auch vnuorstendige Eselsköpffe / vnd Lestermeuler / jhrem groben judicio vnd vnwissenheit nach / davon mummeln oder reden möchten) mit allē fleiß billig nachgesucht solte werden.

Es sagē die Philosophi, Quod duo sint artis huius secreta;

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 7

-TIAE AETERNAE. For which unutterably good Gift God the LORD is highly to be thanked; and which same Gift — as a mirror of the recognition of GOD, of Nature, and of Our own selves — ought in fairness to be sought after with all diligence, with unspared pains, chymical labours and cost: by every Philosophus, that is, by every lover of Wisdom; and, as the highest Medicine, by all Medici to whom GOD’s honour, and their own, and likewise their neighbour’s profit and welfare — but also the Devil’s defiance, scorn and mockery, his scaly brood’s too — are dear; — (no matter how scornfully uncomprehending asses’ heads and blasphemers’ mouths, after their coarse judicium and ignorance, may mumble or talk about it).

The Philosophi say, Quod duo sint artis huius secreta —

9.Amphitheatrum Sapientiae Aeternae, ‘Amphitheatre of Eternal Wisdom’. The word is broken across the opening in the 1599 and the break is kept.

10.Marginal gloss: ‘Because the Stone of the Philosophers is a mirror of the knowledge of God, of Nature, and of our own selves; and the highest and Universal Medicine.’ — des Teuffels … trotz / hohn vnd spot is a fourth genitive in the series governed by so lieb … ist, parallel to GOttes Ehre, jhr selbst eigener and des Nechsten nutz: what is dear to such men is God’s honour, their own profit, their neighbour’s — and the Devil’s spite at them. The construction looks strange until p. 10, where Khunrath quotes the proverb that settles it: Viel feinde der Warheit halben / viel Ehre, many enemies for truth’s sake, much honour. The Devil’s scorn is dear because it is evidence. This edition first read the clause as two rival constructions — work done in defiance of the Devil, or the Devil being defiance to the worker — and printed both; the parallel genitive is better grammar and is now adopted. schupē = Schuppen, scales (confirmed at pp. 41–42); R’s der Teufel mit seinem Anhang construes it as the Devil’s following.

About This Reading Edition

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum argues that alchemy has one universal subject, that this subject cannot be extracted from the metals, and that nothing in the work can begin without recognizing it. This complete reader begins with the supplied seven-part introduction and orientation, then presents every printed page of the 1599 German treatise opposite its new English translation.

Historical Text and Translation

The German reading text is a fresh diplomatic transcription from 600 dpi images of the Magdeburg copy printed by Johann Bötcher in 1599. It preserves Khunrath’s capitalization, word division, authorial marginal keys, glosses, errata, and three unnumbered closing pages: the errata leaf, owl emblem, and colophon.

About Diotimos Editions

Diotimos Editions prepared the new English translation, introduction, notes, glossary, collation, and editorial apparatus. The translation follows Khunrath directly, retaining his technical vocabulary, changes of register, repetitions, rhetorical questions, and distinctions between German, Latin, and coined terms.

Rights

Heinrich Khunrath’s 1599 German work is in the public domain. The 2026 English translation, introduction, notes, glossary, editorial arrangement, and related matter are original to this edition and remain © 2026 Diotimos.

supplied-bilingual-editionSupplied complete German–English scholarly edition