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 187

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Early New High German Page · Branch 194 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 187

NATVRGEMES-ALCHY- MISCH, vnd recht PHILO- SOPHISCH habe Ichs ge- sagt / durch Theoso- phischen bey- stand RVACH HHVCH- MAH-EL! HAllelu-IAH! HAllelu-IAH! HAllelu-IAH! Phy Diabolo. AMEN. HENRICVS KHVNRATH, LIPS. Theosophiæ amator & utri- usque Medicinæ Doctor. Anno Christi, 1599.

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 187

NATVRE-CONFORMINGLY AND ALCHEMICALLY, and rightly PHILOSOPHICALLY, have I said it, through the Theosophical assistance of RVACH HHVCHMAH-EL! HAllelu-IAH! HAllelu-IAH! HAllelu-IAH! Fie upon the Devil. AMEN. HENRICVS KHVNRATH of Leipzig, lover of Theosophy and Doctor of both Medicines. In the Year of Christ, 1599.

248.The last page of the treatise: no marginal gloss and no catchword. p. 187 is a recto, the book signing its rectos (A iij at p. 5, B ij at p. 19), so three unnumbered pages follow it on two leaves: its own verso, the errata (ERRATA. Sic restituantur., column-head Liß Pagina), last entry p. 160; then one leaf, recto an owl in spectacles between crossed torches and candles over Was helffn Fackeln / Liecht oder Brilln / Wann die Leute nicht sehen wölln, with FLOREAT, FLOREAT, FLOREAT MAGNESIA Philosophorum CATHOLICA, de qua in hoc Tractatu meo! beneath — three Floreats for the three Hallelujahs here — and verso the colophon under a grotesque tailpiece. — RVACH HHVCHMAH-EL, the Spirit of the Wisdom of God, named at the head of the treatise and returning to close it; the 1599 spells it HHVCHMAH here where p. 9 has HHOCHMAH. — Phy Diabolo, fie upon the Devil: the last words before the Amen, and the adversary the margin of p. 182 named. — LIPS., Lipsiensis, of Leipzig. — The page is centred throughout and Antiqua but for vnd recht and habe Ichs gesagt / durch Theosophischen beystand, and is the one page where upright and italic Antiqua stand together, which the edition’s single Antiqua face cannot show.

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