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 165

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Early New High German Page · Branch 172 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 165

Beschluß.

WElcher Chymicus nun / aus schickung vnnd anregung des heiligen GOTTES Geistes / MAGNESIAM CATHOLICAM in seine Hende vberkommet / vnd Sie Erkennet / der mag von grund seines Hertzens / mit Theosophischen frewden wol sagen: HERR / Nun lessestu deinen Diener / auff der Chymischen Philosophorum LAPIDEM, in friede laboriren, wie du es haben wilt; dann meine augen haben deinen Medicinalischen HEILAND der grossen Weldt / ein wahres Symbolisches Effigiem, vnd Naturliche Contrafactur des HEILANDES Menschliches Geschlechts / IHSVH Christi / im GÖTTlichen grossen Weldtbuch der Natur / ge-

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 165

Conclusion.

Whatever Chymist now, by the disposing and prompting of the holy Spirit of GOD, gets MAGNESIA CATHOLICA into his Hands and Recognizes Her — he may well say, from the ground of his Heart, with Theosophical joys: LORD, now lettest thou thy servant laborate in peace upon the Chymical Philosophers’ STONE, as thou wilt have it; for mine eyes have thy Medicinal SAVIOUR of the great World — a true Symbolical Effigy, and Natural Likeness, of the SAVIOUR of the Human Race, IHSVH Christ — in the GODLY great World-book of Nature be-

226.Marginal gloss: ‘The Fruits and uses of the Recognition of MAGNESIA CATHOLICA.’ — Beschluß, the Conclusion: the last section of the treatise opens here, and the 1599 sets the heading centred, with a three-line initial W. — What follows is the Nunc dimittis, Luke ii. 29–32, kept cadence for cadence and altered at every turn. Luther has HERR / nu lessestu deinen Diener im Friede faren / wie du gesagt hast; Khunrath puts auff der Chymischen Philosophorum LAPIDEM … laboriren where faren stood, and wie du es haben wilt for wie du gesagt hast, and expands Luther’s deinen Heiland into the whole of what follows. The servant is not dismissed in peace but set to work in peace; the alterations to the two closing clauses come on p. 166. — Contrafactur is the noun to the adjective contrafectisch of p. 56, from Konterfei, contrafactum, a portrait; it carries none of the modern English sense of counterfeit, and the likeness it names is a true one. — ein wahres Symbolisches Effigiem puts a Latin accusative where the German article wants a neuter nominative; printed as set. — IHSVH is Fraktur here and Antiqua at p. 166; Theosophischen and Contrafactur are Antiqua although the German words around them are Fraktur, and Chymicus 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