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 168

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Early New High German

p. 168

nalischen HEILAND der grossen Weldt / Als nemlich / LAPIDEM Philosophorū, noch in statu humiliationis aut exinanitionis / in seinen Henden halte. Es ist nit anders / der calumniant vnd vnuerstendige plauderen vnd pelferen hierwieder was sie wollen. Wolten sie die Warheit reden / oder verstündens besser / so würden sie auch vernünfftiger / besser vnd bescheidener dauon reden.

Jedoch lasse Ich mich allerley vnnütze gewäsche hierwieder fast wenig irren ; vnd auch nicht vnbillich: In deme Ich betrachte / was es mehrentheils für Philosophi sein / von denen dasselbo^† herkombt. Gewißlich es ist mehrteils (auch ausgenomen etlicher sehr we-nig hochgelerter / bisweilen auch in Alchymia nicht so gar vnerfarner / leider / hoffertigen Geistere / welche aus eitel Truffelischen^‡ Neide

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 168

-nal SAVIOUR of the great World — namely, the LAPIS of the Philosophers, still in the state of humiliation or of emptying-out. It is no otherwise, let the calumniator and the undiscerning chatter and yelp against it what they will. If they would speak the Truth, or understood it better, they would also speak of it more reasonably, better and more modestly.

Yet I let all manner of useless babble against it trouble me very little; and not unreasonably either, considering what sort of Philosophers they mostly are from whom it^† comes. Assuredly they are for the most part (excepting some very few highly learned men, at times not altogether unpractised in Alchemy either, but — alas — haughty spirits, who out of sheer devilish^‡ Envy

229.Marginal glosses: ‘I know well — God be praised — what I say and write in this matter.’; ‘Loß-sophi they might well be called.’; ‘They want to be the only Cock in the basket; the …’ (running on to p. 169). — The second gloss is a pun that will not come over: Loß is loose, empty, worthless, and Loß-sophi is set against Philosophi in the line it stands beside. It is kept in the German and explained here rather than replaced by an English coinage. — Han im Korbe, cock in the basket, is the proverbial phrase for the man who must be first and alone. — pelferen is belfern, to yelp or scold; the 1599 sets p for b here as it does at pengklich on p. 169. — calumniant, the Calumniator, as at p. 149. — ^†The 1599 sets dasselbo. The final sort is solidly inked and may be a blotted e; the sense requires dasselbe. Printed as it stands and marked. — ^‡Truffelischen is not a word. One wrong sort separates it from Teuffelischen, devilish, which the sense requires and which the English follows; the reading of the remaining sorts is secure. Marked. — nalischen at the head of the page is Antiqua, continuing the Medici- of p. 167 across the turn; Philosophi in line 17 is Fraktur, as is the Loß-sophi of the gloss beside it, so the pun is set entirely in Fraktur; and Alchymia in line 22 is Antiqua, where the same word at p. 171 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