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. 5

Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum. Freylich bleibet alle vnd jedere zeit wol war / wie die alten Weisen recht gesagt haben / A IOVE, h. e. IEHOVAH, Principium Musæ; Von GOTT dem HERRN kompt hero der Anfang aller dinge erforschung.

Alle gute Gabe / vnd alle vollkommene Gabe kömpt von oben herab / von dem Vater des Liechts / spricht der Apostel^a Jacob.

Demnach dann LAPIS Philosophorum NATVRAE BONVM, per artem, SVMMVM, Das höchste GVTH der Natur ist / das durch Kunst-hülffe zu wege mus bracht vnd erlanget kan

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 5

Magnesia Catholica of the Philosophers. Assuredly it remains true at all times and at every time, as the ancient Wise have rightly said: A IOVE, that is, IEHOVAH, Principium Musæ; from GOD the LORD comes the beginning of the investigation of all things.

Every good gift and every perfect gift comes down from above, from the Father of Lights, says the Apostle^a James.

Accordingly, then, the LAPIS Philosophorum is NATVRAE BONVM, per artem, SVMMVM — the highest GOOD of Nature, which must be brought about and can be attained through the help of Art;

1.A Ioue principium Musae — Virgil, Eclogues iii. 60, Ab Ioue principium Musae, Iouis omnia plena. Khunrath does not translate Ioue but identifies it: the pagan formula is allowed to stand and is then read as naming IEHOVAH. The gesture is repeated throughout the treatise, and is not decorative — it is the claim that the Light of Nature and revelation have one source.

2.aller dinge erforschung — the genitive is left where Khunrath put it: the beginning of the investigation of all things, not merely the beginning of all things. What proceeds from God is the inquiry itself.

3.Marginal gloss: James i. 17. The superscript a is Khunrath’s own key, and is reproduced where he set it.

4.Marginal gloss: ‘The Stone of the Philosophers, the highest GOOD of Nature, through Art.’ Kunst is ars throughout, the Art, and is never weakened to ‘skill’. Note the pairing Khunrath insists on and which is kept here: it must (mus) be brought about, and it can (kan) be attained — necessity on Nature’s side, possibility on the Artist’s.

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