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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Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 18
Early New High German
p. 18STEIN der Weysen sey vnd genennet werde? Warlich darumb / dieweil Er aus einem PRI-MATERIALISCHEN, CATHOLISCHEN, NATVRLICHEN SVBIECTO (wie in nachvolgenden weiter erkleret wird) zubereitet worden; Vnd dann auch / das Er / eben solcher Vrsach halben / Krafft vnd Macht hat CATHOLISCH / das ist / in ALGEMEIN / Natürlich vnnd Naturgemeß-künstlich zu wircken / in ALLE NATVRLICHE DINGE / So (DEO iubente) aus MATERIA PRIMA CATHOLICA Weldt-anfenglich jhren Materialischen Vrsprung genommen; vnd auch hernacker secundariò, ex propagatione (NATVRA operante) Natürlich geworden sein.
War ist der Philosophen
Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum
p. 18STONE of the Wise, and is so named. Truly for this reason: because He has been prepared out of a FIRST-MATERIAL, CATHOLIC, NATURAL SVBIECTVM (as will be further explained in what follows); and then also because He has, for that very cause, force and power to work CATHOLICLY — that is, universally — Naturally and in a Nature-conforming and artful way, upon ALL NATURAL THINGS: which (God commanding it) took their Material origin out of MATERIA PRIMA CATHOLICA at the beginning of the World, and afterwards came to be Naturally in the second place, by propagation (Nature working).
True is the Philosophers’
Socrates
Reading Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum · Printed Page 18
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
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.