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 181

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Early New High German Page · Branch 188 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 181

schreihen oder fahren / der Echo jhme wiederumb heraus werde entgegen schallen; Darnach sich / disfalls / ein jeder zurichten.

War ist das gemeine Sprichwort / Es ist ein gut Freund der einen warnet: Ich weiß aber allbereit / das (wegen dieser Meiner Bekentnis MAGNESIAE / CHRISTI IHSVH Symbolischer vnd Natürlicher Contrafactur in dem Buche der grossen Weld) solcher Weldt-danck Mir auch wiederfahren werde / gleich wie Christo / seinen Aposteln / vnnd allen Warheit bekennern / geschehen. Dann es heist noch heutiges tages / Merces Doctorum; vndanck in fine laborum.

Was? Soll man dann darumb stillschweigen; der Warheit / mit dem Pfund so von GOTT einem verlehnet / nicht nach vermügen zu hülffe kommen; die

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 181

cry or let fly, so the Echo will ring back out to him again; whereby let every man govern himself in this matter.

True is the common Proverb: he is a good Friend who warns one. But I know already that (on account of this My Confession of MAGNESIA, the Symbolical and Natural Likeness of CHRIST IHSVH in the Book of the great World) such World’s-thanks will befall Me too as befell Christ, his Apostles, and all confessors of the Truth. For it still runs today: the wage of the Learned — ingratitude at the end of their labours.

What? Shall one then for that keep silence; not come to the Truth’s help, according to one’s power, with the Pound that GOD has lent one; let

242.Marginal glosses: ‘A good greeting, a good answer.’; ‘Truth breeds hatred. Truth has ingratitude for its wages.’ — Merces Doctorum; vndanck in fine laborum: the tag is half Latin and half German, and the German word sits in the middle of it where the Latin would have ingratitudo; the English keeps the seam. — Contrafactur is the noun of p. 165, and the claim is the same one: the Stone is the natural likeness of Christ. — das Pfund so von GOTT einem verlehnet is the mina of Luke xix. 11–27, which Luther renders Pfund; Matthew xxv has the Zentner. p. 154 uses the two together, Talenti oder Pfundes, against the patrons. — The catchword’s first two sorts are So; the third is damaged and reads as a round s, where p. 182 opens Sophisterey. The page carries its full twenty-four lines and nothing is lost. — Symbolischer and the in after Contrafactur are Antiqua, though Natürlicher between them 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