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 55

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Early New High German

p. 55

rationē sufficientem, Compositionis legitimæ methodo, durch mithülffe Vulcani, Naturgemeß-Künstlich herfür bringen jhren Denarium Physicum realem; plus-quamperfectum ac SVMMVM Naturæ, per ARTEM, BONVM, h. e. LAPIDEM Philosophorum CATHOLICVM MIRIFICVM, diademate rubicundissimo ( perfectionis summæ SIGNATVRA) decoratum.

Was dann ferner anlanget / vber bishero erzehlete / noch andere mehr Requisita, Conditiones, Qualitates, vñ Proprietates SVBIecti LAPidis Philosophorum CATholici / derē in scriptis Philosophorū viel erzelet werdē / aus gewissen gnugsamē vrsachē aber (sonderlich auch mit / das sich nicht alle Bawrē darein findē sollen) anhero zu setzē mit fleiß vnterlassen: Darzu auch noch die vberaus wunderbare

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 55

-fication — by the method of lawful Composition, bring forth, by the help of Vulcan, in a Nature-conforming and artful way, their real Physical Denarius: more-than-perfected, and the HIGHEST GOOD of Nature through ART — that is, the WONDER-WORKING CATHOLIC STONE OF THE PHILOSOPHERS, adorned with a most ruddy diadem (the SIGNATURE of highest perfection).

As for what further concerns — beyond what has been recounted hitherto — yet other Requisites, Conditions, Qualities and Properties of the SVBIECTVM of the CATHOLIC STONE of the Philosophers, of which many are recounted in the writings of the Philosophers: for certain sufficient reasons, however (and especially with this, that not all Peasants should find their way into it) I have of set purpose forborne to set them down here. And besides these, the exceedingly wonderful

111.Marginal glosses: ‘Out of one, all things; all things into and unto the ONE.’; ‘Philo, in his book on the Decalogue, calls the Denarius the most familiar of Numbers to GOD, perfect, and the peer of the whole of Wisdom. Note the mystery.’ — Philo, De Decalogo 20–31, on the number ten. Nota mysterium is Khunrath’s instruction to the reader, not Philo’s. — The Denarius closes the series of p. 54: one, two, three and four summed make ten, which is what the Tetractys figures, and the marginal Ex vno omnia; omnia in & ad VNVM states the movement out and back. Vulcanus is fire, the chymist’s working agent, and is retained. diadema rubicundissimum is the red of the finished Stone.

112.Marginal gloss: ‘Yet more other Requisites; Conditions; Qualities; and Properties of the SVBIECTVM of the VNIVERSAL STONE of the Philosophers.’ — das sich nicht alle Bawrē darein findē sollen: the reason given for withholding is social, not doctrinal, and is the plainest statement of the secrecy principle in the treatise. It sits oddly beside p. 44, where the concealment was God’s doing and not the Philosophers’. Both stand.

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