Diotimos Library · Renaissance Collection · Bilingual Edition
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
The 1599 German text with a new English translation, introduction, glossary, and notes.
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English Introduction · Branch 208 of 215
Glossary of Key Terms · Part 7
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Glossary of Key Terms
p. 208Monas, Dias, Trias, Tetractys
Retained as set. All four are Greek terms in the margin, each paired with its Latin equivalents; the Tetractys is the triangular figure of ten, not simply ‘four’. pp. 53–54 m.
Monumenta
monuments, written memorials left behind: the second of the Tubae Veritatis, the writings of the Philosophers taken as evidence. p. 27.
Naturæ possibilitas
the possibility of nature. Not a vague appeal to what is natural: the Artist’s norma or straight-edge, the standard against which every reading of an authority and every operation in the laboratory is to be measured. Its strongest form is the margin of p. 110, Extra Naturam, in Physico Artificialibus, nulla est Salus. pp. 109–110 m.
Naturgemeß
nature-conforming. Khunrath’s standing adjective, and one word in English. Its force is normative: to be un-Naturgemeß is not to be unusual but to be wrong.
Nicodemisch, auff gut
in good nicodemus fashion. Concealment from fear, not hypocrisy — of those who carry doubt about the Stone privately. p. 25.
NISI
Retained, and used as a noun: the saving clause, the catch. Khunrath turns the Latin conjunction into a substantive for the condition that undoes an otherwise sound claim — Es hat aber noch darmit eine starcke NISI. p. 74.
OBIECTIO / SOLVTIO
an objection / the solution; retained. Khunrath’s disputation apparatus, set in the margins as running heads so that a reader can find where an opponent’s case is stated and where it is answered. The objections are often the clearest statements of the position he is against. pp. 87, 106–107, 113, 115 m.
ὁμοούσιος
Retained in Greek, unglossed, as he sets it: of one substance — said of the Son of the great World with respect to its begetter. p. 50.
OMNIA
all things, retained. A name of the Catholic matter, ascribed by Khunrath to the Philosophers and defended grammatically: what all things can be predicated of is rightly so called. It is also his concession that the doctrine can be bent onto any matter whatever — the books, like the written Law, have a nose of wax. p. 111.
Socrates
Reading Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Glossary of Key Terms · Glossary of Key Terms · Part 7
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.