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 53

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Early New High German

p. 53

ret ist / wie in nachfolgenden wei-ter angedeutet wird) REGENERATION ACKER des Silbers vnd Goldes / das Sie (etiam nutu Diuino) Metalla plus-quam-perfecta werden; vnd als dann / vff die vnderen metalla in die öberen / verwandelungs Tincturē, Elixeiria vnd Particularia geben mögen: ohne welches hierzu ( vermöge GOTTES vnuerenderlichen Beschluß vnd Anordnung durch die NATVR) kein anders ist / sein soll noch kan / in der gantzen NATVR aller dingen; dieweil dieses DING (Philosophicè consideratis circumstantijs omnibus) seines gleichen sonsten durchaus also nicht hat: ^a Darinnen Naturlich begriffen sein / ^†Catholisch verborgen stecken / der Philosophen EINS / als nemlich / MERCVRIVS Philosophorum CATHOLICVS & Crudus;

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 53

-ed, as is further intimated in what follows) the REGENERATION FIELD of Silver and Gold, so that they may become (by the Divine nod also) Metals more-than-perfected; and then thereafter may yield, upon the lower metals into the upper, transmuting Tinctures, Elixirs and Particulars. Besides which, for this purpose (by virtue of GOD’S unalterable Decree and Ordinance through NATURE) there is, shall be, nor can be any other in the whole NATURE of all things, since this THING (all the circumstances being Philosophically considered) has in no wise anything else like it. Wherein^a are Naturally comprehended and^† Catholicly lie hidden the Philosophers’ ONE — namely, MERCVRIVS Philosophorum CATHOLICVS & Crudus, the Catholic and Crude Mercury of the Philosophers.

107.Marginal glosses: ‘You Idiots and Sophists, mark this Teaching well.’; ‘Silver and Gold more-than-perfected.’ — The direct address is Khunrath’s and stands in the margin, not the text: he insults his opponents beside the page rather than in it, and he sets Idioten and Sophisten in Antiqua while the rest of the gloss is Fraktur — they are school terms, not mere abuse. A third gloss stands at the head of the page, rum reden.: it is the tail of the gloss begun at p. 52 and is printed here as it runs on.

108.Marginal glosses, keyed to a: ‘See above this sign^* p. 45’; and ‘The MONAD of the Physico-Chymical Philosophers; the Unary, or the One.’ ^*The sign is the same unidentified chymical character that stands in the margin of p. 45, and Khunrath’s back-reference confirms it is one character used twice, not two. It cannot be reproduced in this type; it is described in the note to p. 45. — What begins here is a numerical series — One, Two, Three, Four — which runs to p. 54 and is signposted by the marginal glosses alone. The body text never names the numbers in Latin; the margin supplies Monas, Dias, Trias, Tetractys. ^†Khunrath’s errata on the leaf following p. 187 give Catholisch verborgen / lin. 21 for this page. Line 21 as printed begins verborgen stecken, and the correction supplies Catholisch before it; without it the two participial phrases — Naturlich begriffen sein, verborgen stecken — have nothing to join them. The correction is adopted and marked.

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