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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Early New High German

p. 134

seiner müssig gienge. So weit Bernhardus.

Wann nun eingeworffenes Argument solte gelten / so würde dem AVTHORI ROSARII Philosophorum (dessen allerley zeugnisse in diesem Negotio viel fürtreffliche Leute / zu stewr der Warheit / sich viel gebrauchen) wenig / oder fast gar nichts / zu gleuben sein müssen / dieweil er ausdrücklich spricht / das damals / wie er angezogenes sein Philosophisch Buch geschrieben / er das Philosophische Werck weiter nicht / als bis zum LÖWEN / gesehen habe.

Wie würde BONVS LOMBADVS^† Ferrariensis seine Margaritam prætiosam nouellam können vertheidigen? In deme er Cap. 15. also sagt: Sapientum plurium libros vidimus, & iuxta posse nostrum & modicum ingenium studuimus, quamvis Ope-

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 134

had done with him. Thus far Bernhardus.

If now the Argument thrown in were to hold good, then would the AVTHOR OF THE ROSARIVM Philosophorum — whose testimonies of every kind many excellent People make much use of in this Business, in support of the Truth — have to be believed little, or almost not at all; since he expressly says that at the time when he wrote that Philosophical Book of his here adduced, he had seen the Philosophical Work no further than as far as the LION.

How would BONVS LOMBA[R]DVS^† of Ferrara be able to defend his new precious Pearl? In that he says thus in Chapter 15: Sapientum plurium libros vidimus, & iuxta posse nostrum & modicum ingenium studuimus, quamvis Ope-

194.No marginal gloss stands on this page. — The Rosarium Philosophorum, the most widely copied of the late-medieval compilations, is cited anonymously because its author was unknown; Khunrath’s use of it is characteristic — he does not dispute its authority, he disputes the objector’s right to it. — The LION is a stage of the work, and the point is that the Rosarium says its author had got no further than that: if knowledge required completion, the Rosarium would be worthless, and nobody holds that it is. — Petrus Bonus of Ferrara, called Bonus Lombardus, wrote the Pretiosa Margarita Novella at Pola in Istria in the 1330s. ^†The 1599 sets LOMBA-|DVS, wanting its r; the reading is certain and the letter is simply not there. Left as set, and the missing sort supplied in brackets in the English only.

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