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 128

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Early New High German

p. 128

CATHOLICA anzutreffen / vnd aus derselben / nach GOTTES willen / ^a Naturgemeß - künstlich erlanget mus werden / So könnet jhr / ( Omnipotente concedente) dem vnfehlbaren Wege des LIECTS^† der NATVR nach / zu gewüntschtem Ende kommen: Sonsten ist es vnd bleibet blindheit vnd jrthumb / wo es in Silber vnd Gold - arbeiten disfals / ausser MAGNESIAE Pri-materialischen AZOTH / am besten ist.

Die Philosophi sprechen auch / In SALE sint Labores tui. Quæritur: In was für einem? Vnd / wo soll ich solch SALTZ finden oder nehmen? Philosophicè cum Philosopho, & sapienter cum Sapiente, respondeo: Est SAL Maris CATHOLICON; reperiturq; in Oceano vel Mari illo Philosophorum Catholico, quod est MAGNESIA: Quæ,

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 128

CATHOLICA is to be met with, and out of that same must, according to GOD’S will, be got^a in a Nature-conforming and artful way: then can ye (the Almighty granting it) come to the wished-for End along the unfailing Way of the LIGHT^† of NATURE. Otherwise it is and remains blindness and error, where in this business the best of the Silver- and Gold-work lies outside MAGNESIA’S Pri-material AZOTH.

The Philosophers say also, In SALE sint Labores tui. It is asked: In what sort of one? And where shall I find or take such SALT? Philosophically with the Philosopher, and wisely with the Wise, I answer: It is the CATHOLIC SALT OF THE SEA; and it is found in that Catholic Ocean or Sea of the Philosophers which is MAGNESIA: Which,

185.Marginal gloss, keyed to Khunrath’s a: ‘This gift of GOD is great; for which every Physico-Chymist will pray. Whoso is to have it, to him will God duly give it in His own time. Only let a man first learn to Recognize MAGNESIA, and seek Diligently therein. Seek, and ye shall find, Christ teaches us.’ — Matthew vii. 7. The pairing is the one the Introduction takes from this page: the Art is Donum Dei, and the prayer is not a pious frame round the work but part of it. — Phisico-Chymista is printed thus, with Phi- for Phy-; left as set. — ^†The 1599 divides L I-|ECTS across lines 6 and 7 and sets four Fraktur capitals e c t s at the head of line 7, so that the word stands as LIECTS, wanting its h. Read LIECHTS, the genitive of LIECHT, which is set in full at p. 135. The types are printed as found and the correction is confined to this note.

186.Marginal gloss: ‘In SALE sint labores tui, how it is rightly to be understood.’ The gloss stands three lines below the text it comments on, because Khunrath’s keyed note fills the margin above it; it is set here where the 1599 sets it. — In sale sint labores tui, ‘let thy labours be in salt’, is an alchemical commonplace, and the answer Khunrath gives to it is a definition rather than a recipe: the salt in question is the salt of the sea, and the sea is Magnesia. He asks the obvious question himself — in which salt? — before anyone can ask it for him.

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