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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Facing Pages · Branch 164 of 215
Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 157
Early New High German
p. 157hat gnugsam Bürgschafft dafür / dz heutiges tages dergleichen nicht auch wiederumb geschehe / geschehen könte oder möchte? Man mus nicht nur schlecht vnd blos auff die gezeigte Probam sehen / vnd derselben alleine trawen / sondern vielmehr den Vogel aus seinem Gesang iudiciren, ob er Natur-gemeß oder aber vn-Naturgemeß dahero singe. Wo jrgend / so hat allhier stat / loquere, ut audiam qui sis! Als dann kan man ein richtig Vrtheil fellen / vnnd die Lügen von Warheit vnterscheiden. Man mus auch in scibili chymico die Geister / ad Lydium Naturæ Lapidem, prüfen. Ein warer Philosophus schewet das Liecht nicht; darumb ist mit dieser admonition vnd angedeutetem tentamine, jhme auch nichts zu nahe geredet. Seine Philosophia von MAGNESIa, minera Artis, wird
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
p. 157— has surety enough for it that the like does not also come to pass again today, could not or might not so come to pass? One must not look merely bare and flat upon the Proof displayed, and trust that alone, but rather judge the bird from its song, whether it sings thence Nature-conformingly or un-Nature-conformingly. If anywhere at all, then here has place: speak, that I may hear who thou art! Then can one pass a right Judgment, and distinguish the Lie from the Truth. One must also, in the chymical knowable discipline, prove the spirits at Nature’s Lydian Stone. A true Philosopher shuns not the Light; therefore nothing is spoken too near him either by this admonition and by the trial here intimated. His Philosophy of MAGNESIA, the Mine of the Art, will
Socrates
Reading Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 157
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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.