Diotimos Library · Renaissance Collection · Bilingual Edition
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
The 1599 German text with a new English translation, introduction, glossary, and notes.
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Early New High German Page · Branch 117 of 215
Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 110
Early New High German
p. 110scripserunt suos libros, nisi filijs eorum; & filios eorum voco, qui perfectè. intelligunt dicta eorum, & non secundum literam. Nam operatio secundum intentionem literæ, est dissipatio diuitiarum, & temporis perditio. Dahero verwirfft auch AVICENna den todten vnd verführischen† Buchstaben / vnd beschleust also / Sed cum Ego me reduxi ad principia Naturalia, cognoui tunc Artem esse veram. SVMmatim: Litera occidit, Spiritus viuificat, Der Buchstabe tödtet / der Geist macht lebendig.
¶ Man verwirfft der Philosophen‡ Bücher nicht / sondern lesset sie alle gut bleiben / jedoch in NATVRGEMEssen verstande; wo fern sie mit der Natur vbereinstimēn. Gleich wie auch der Patrum vnd anderer vornehmer Theologorum Schrifften / wo ferne sie /
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
p. 110write their books save for their sons; and I call those their sons who perfectly understand their sayings, and not according to the letter. For working according to the intention of the letter is the squandering of riches and the loss of time. Hence AVICENNA too rejects the dead and seducing† letter, and concludes thus: But when I brought myself back to the Natural principles, then I knew the Art to be true. In sum: The letter kills, the Spirit gives life — the Letter kills, the Spirit makes alive.
¶ One does not reject the Philosophers’ books, but lets them all stand good — yet in a NATVRE-CONFORMING understanding, so far as they agree with Nature. Just as the writings of the Fathers and of other eminent Theologians too, so far as they
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Reading Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 110
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.