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 160

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Early New High German

p. 160

bezeugen) also viel Mühe vnd Arbeit / auch grossen vleis vnd subtiligkeit in Præparatione oder zu-Bereitung jhrer Materiæ, durch Calciniren, Dissoluiren, Depuriren Componiren, Putrificiren, Soluiren, Coaguliren, Fi-giren, Inceriren vnd Metallisches Fermentiren, jhren LAPIDEM MIRIFICVM / den Wunderthetigen STEIN / mit welchem Proiectio auff die vntern / vnd Transmutatio in die oberen Metallen geschehen sol / vnd von jhnen geschicht / Naturgemeß-künstlich zu erlangen?

Es ist aber von Verstendigen (dieweil solchen gut zu predigen) leichtlich zuerachten / was angedeuteter pseudo-chymicorum newer auffzug / von jhrer vermeinten Transmutation proba / stillschweigend vnnd zu rücke hinder sich habe; sonderlich ^†bey in der

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 160

testify) of so much Toil and Labour, and of great diligence and subtlety in the Preparation or making-ready of their Materia — through Calcining, Dissolving, Depurating, Composing, Putrefying, Solving, Coagulating, Fixing, Incerating and Metallic Fermenting — to attain in a Nature-conforming and artful way their LAPIS MIRIFICVS, the Wonder-working STONE, wherewith Projection upon the lower and Transmutation into the upper Metals is to be made, and is made by them?

But it is easily to be reckoned by people of understanding (since such are good to preach to) what the aforesaid new parade of the pseudo-chymists, touching their supposed proof of Transmutation, holds silently and in reserve behind it; especially^† among

221.Marginal gloss: ‘Inceriren is to make wax-fluid.’ — Khunrath’s own definition of incerare, to bring a body to the consistency of melted wax; he sets it in the margin beside the word in the body list. — LAPIS MIRIFICVS, the wonder-working Stone, as at p. 55. — Proiectio and Transmutatio are kept distinct: the casting-on of the medicine, and the change it works. — ^†Khunrath’s errata on the unnumbered leaf following p. 187 give sonderlich bey in der Natur. lin. vltim. for this page. The last line as printed reads hinder sich habe; sonderlich in der, and the correction supplies bey before in der. Without it the dative Leuten that the sentence reaches at the head of p. 161 is left ungoverned. Adopted and marked. — The whole operative list from Calciniren to Fermentiren is Antiqua, and Metallisches, standing inside it, is Fraktur.

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