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.

Explore the Lexicon

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica PhilosophorumMagnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 12

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

Facing Pages · Branch 19 of 215

Book Mode

Early New High German

p. 12

der Weisen / das jhr vor allen dingen / ehe vnd zuuor jhr darauff anfahet zu laboriren, in wol ermeltes verborgenen Catholischen STEINS geheimen subiecto debito, so auch Catholisch sein mus / vnd ist / (Vniuersale enim non nisi ex vniuersali) Ja / nicht jrret; hoc, certè, esset error non^* paruus in initio, ex quo maior in media, maximus in fine; dato enim inconueniente vno, sequuntur plura: Sondern nach lehre des Göttlichen Liechts der Natur / demselbigen (IEHOVAE ductu) zugleich historicè, physicè & Theosophicè, fleissigst nachforschet / so lange / biß das jhr solches neben dem können / auch lernet erkennen; So habt jhr als dann (ehe gewißlich nicht) artis huius secretum VNVM atq; initium, die EINE verborgenheit / vnd den wahren ANFANG dieser

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 12

of the Wise, that before all things — before and prior to your beginning to laborate thereupon — you do not err concerning the well-mentioned hidden Catholic STONE’s secret subiectum debitum, which must also be Catholic, and is (Vniuersale enim non nisi ex vniuersali); yes, that you do not err: hoc, certè, esset error non^* paruus in initio, ex quo maior in media, maximus in fine; dato enim inconueniente vno, sequuntur plura. Rather, according to the teaching of the Divine Light of Nature, search that same out most diligently (by IEHOVAH’s leading), at once historicè, physicè and Theosophicè, so long until, besides the being able, you also learn to recognize it. Then you will have (and assuredly not before) artis huius secretum VNVM atque initium — the ONE hidden thing and the true BEGINNING of this

21.‘For the universal comes only from the universal.’ — ‘This, certainly, would be no small error at the beginning, from which a greater in the middle and the greatest at the end; for one incongruity being granted, more follow.’ Marginal gloss: ‘Quale semen, tale germen. As the seed is, so also is the fruit’, bilingual already in the 1599. ^*Line 9 prints error hon paruus; hon is a turned n, corrected to non, and R confirms the sense with kein kleiner Irrthum im Anfang, ein noch größerer im Mittel, und der größeste am Ende; it renders dato enim inconueniente vno, sequuntur plura as denn aus einer Ungereimtheit folgen die andern. Khunrath’s errata carry a separate entry against p. 12, line 9 (aliâs hoc) whose intention is unclear; see the note on the errata below.

22.Theosophicè is left standing in Latin here and rendered ‘according to divine wisdom’ where Englished, so that it is not read as the later Theosophical movement. The three adverbs are a method, not a flourish: the subject is pursued through its history, its physical behaviour, and divine wisdom, and none of the three may be dropped. Note also the distinction between können, being able to do the thing, and erkennen, recognizing what it is: the second does not follow from the first.

23.1599, line 22: huis; corrected to huius by Khunrath’s errata. — Marginal gloss, running on across the opening: ‘Either one errs in the Materia, or else in …’ (continued p. 13: ‘… the true Materia’s right preparation’).

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