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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Early New High German

p. 60

vorleihung) nützlich zugebrauchen, So vnterstehe vnd bemühe sich der Künstner nur nicht / Erstlich MATERIAM METALLORVM PRIMAM CATHOLICAM (wie jhrer viel zu thun vergeblich vermeinen) aus den METALLen,^a als entweder aus Silber Gold / ^a Quecksilber / etc. Dieweil sie je alle Specificata sein / durch seine Kunsthülffe / so er daselbst in den Metallē^† / mit frembden Wassern / corrosiuischen schedlichen Spiritibus / vnd dergleichen sophistereyen / der NATVR zu thun vormeinet / für sich selbst kunstlich zu scheiden / oder zu machen; es ist vergebene Arbeit: Semper enim manet aliquid metalli, quamuis non metallum; siue sit in forma hydrargyri, siue corporis volatilis, siue pulueris fixi, siue liquoris, aut aquæ cuiusdam spiritualis. Die SPECIFICATIO lesset sich

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 60

bestowal), profitably to use: let the Artist only not undertake and trouble himself — First, to separate out for himself artfully, or to make, THE FIRST CATHOLIC MATTER OF METALS (as many of them vainly suppose is to be done) out of the METALS,^a as either out of Silver, Gold,^a Quicksilver, etc. — since they are one and all Specified — by that help of his art which he there supposes himself to render to NATVRE in the Metals,^† with foreign Waters, corrosive harmful Spirits, and the like sophistries. It is wasted Labour: For there always remains something of metal, though not a metal; be it in the form of quicksilver, or of a volatile body, or of a fixed powder, or of a liquor, or of some spiritual water. The SPECIFICATION lets itself

117.Marginal glosses, keyed to a: ‘Quicksilver is in this regard, and here too, unfit — not only because it is a leprous Mercury, but also because it is spurious and leporosus: for it is the Mercury of the common sort. Do you object the purgings, preparations and separations of the purer substance? I rightly reject them, for the very weighty reasons set down here.’; and ‘SPECIFICATION is rightly taken in’ (running on to p. 61). — leporosus is printed thus; leprosus stands six words earlier, so the pair is either a play or a compositor’s slip. It is not Latin, and it is left untranslated rather than resolved into a guess. — The key a is printed twice, raised after METALLen and again at the end of the next line, and the note it carries concerns only the Quecksilber that follows. ^†Metallē: the final sort is so heavily inked that its form cannot be made out, but in den requires a plural, and the word is printed one sort longer than Metall. The reading is not secure; the English follows the grammar. — The catchword at the foot of this page is gewiß-, where p. 61 opens gewislich; the spelling differs but no line is lost.

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