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 124 of 215
Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 117
Early New High German
p. 117ficata / gezeugeten zeitigen Metallischen früchten / vernimb Silbers vnnd Goldes / vnpri - materialische / das ist / nicht in Pri - materialischen stande / drey wesentliche theile (partes Essentiales tres, non principia Pri - materialia tria, imò potius principiata tria) abbesonders künstlich getrennet vnd von einander geschieden? Welche DREJE / wo ferne Sie / recht vnd eigentlich / principia Pri-materialia tria sollen sein/ müssz† sie es auch sein Pri-materialiter; vnd derowegē per materiam Metallorū Primā, (so etwz† besonders selbstē diges‡ für sich ausserhalb den Metallē ist/ auch von diesen gar nicht herkompt / sondern diese von jenem/) noch erst in materiā Primā weiter zurücke gesetzt vnd wieder gebracht worden sein / oder werden. Sintemal materia Metallorū Prima alleine Macht/ Krafft
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
p. 117fied, begotten ripe Metallic fruits — understand, of Silver and of Gold — un-pri-material, that is, not in the Pri-material state: three essential parts (three Essential parts, not three Pri-material principles, but rather three things principiated) artfully sundered apart and divided one from another? Which THREE, if They are rightly and properly to be three Pri-material principles, must be so Pri-materially as well; and must therefore first, through the First matter of Metals — which is something apart, subsisting of itself, outside the Metals, and by no means comes from these, but rather these from it — be set further back into the First matter and brought thither again, or become so. Since the First matter of Metals alone has Power, Force
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Reading Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 117
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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.