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 136

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Early New High German

p. 136

fleissigs Lesen vñ gesundē Verstand Naturgemeß - Chymischer Naturkündiger warhafftiger Bucher; auch Theosophischē contempliren, meditiren vnd obseruiren, der wunderbaren Natürlichen wirckungē / beydes in der grossen Weld hin vnd wieder / vnd auch in Laboratorio Chymico / in vielfeltigen / offters auch sehr gefehrlichen / Arbeiten. Also auck wol andere / noch heutiges Tages: agitur enim & hodie eadem Comœdia, quæ quondam, mutatis duntaxat personis. Wer hat dem allerersten Philososoho gesagt / oder woher wuste er es / das ein LAPiS Philosophorum in rerum natura, sey? Woher kam jhm diese wissenschafft? Er mus fürwar eine andere erkentnis gehabt haben / als mancher / der Geheimnissen GOttes vnverstendiger / jtzo meinet. Hieruon ist an einem an-

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 136

diligent Reading and sound Understanding of Nature-conforming-Chymical, Nature-knowing, truthful Books; also through Theosophical contemplating, meditating and observing of the wonderful Natural workings, both here and there in the great World and also in the Chymical Laboratory, in manifold and often very dangerous Labours. So likewise others too, even to this day: for the same Comedy is played today as of old, only the persons being changed. Who told the very first Philosopher, or whence knew he it, that there is a LAPIS Philosophorum in rerum natura? Whence came this knowledge to him? He must in truth have had another recognition than many a one — one undiscerning of the Secrets of GOD — now supposes. Of this there is in an-

196.Marginal gloss: ‘Hither belongs the SIGNATVRE of Natural Things.’ — The doctrine of signatures — that a thing wears the mark of its own virtue — is set beside reading and observing as a third way of coming at the knowledge, not as a substitute for them. The word itself has stood once before, at p. 55, but there of the Stone’s red diadem as the SIGNATVRA of highest perfection; this is the first place where the doctrine is invoked. — Bucher is printed without the umlaut. auck is printed for auch, the h sort replaced by k; and the compositor sets Philososoho for Philosopho, having got in an extra so. All three are left as set. LAPiS is printed with a lowercase i among capitals, as SVBIECTVm is at p. 129 and CATHOLICum at p. 130. — eadem Comœdia, mutatis duntaxat personis, the same play with only the actors changed, is a commonplace; no single source for it in this form has been traced.

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