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 68

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Early New High German Page · Branch 75 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 68

luckeren Pulueren; hernacher auch durch extrahiren, soluiren, vnd anderen præpariren, entweder mit spiritu & sale vrinæ puerorum ac fœmellarum duodecim plus minus annorum volatili; oder aber mit Sale Tartari volatili; auch mit Salis Tartari purissimi & fixi Lapidis fusi^† viridantis Essentia sanguinea; mit Spiritu vini; Item / durch anderer / beydes Leiblicher vnd Geistlicher / salium, als / Salis commuuis^‡; Marini; Nitri; Armeniaci; &c: Auch sonsten vielmehr vnterschiedlicher dingen vnterschiedlicher Menstruorum solutiuorum & extrahentium Brauch vnd anwendung / also / das SILBER vnd GOLD verhanden seind entweder in forma liquida / Blaw / Gelb oder Roth / Corporalisch, soluiret oder extrahiret; Item / Ein Geistlich Wasser oder Wes-

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 68

loose Powders; and afterwards also by extracting, dissolving and otherwise preparing — either with the volatile spirit and salt of the urine of boys and girls of twelve years, more or less; or else with volatile Salt of Tartar; also with the sanguine Essence of the purest and fixed Salt of Tartar, of the molten greening Stone; with Spirit of wine; likewise, by the use and application of other salts, both Corporeal and Spiritual — as of common Salt; Sea-salt; Nitre; Sal Armoniac; &c. — and otherwise of yet many more different dissolving and extracting Menstrua of different things: so that SILVER and GOLD are to be had, either in liquid form, Blue, Yellow or Red, Corporeally dissolved or extracted; likewise, a Spiritual Water or a Wa-

125.Marginal glosses: ‘In this fixed green Stone of the Salt of Tartar there lies much wonder’; and ‘By means of a …’ (running on to p. 69; a marginal catchword ser. stands below it, right-aligned, and is the margin’s own catchword for p. 69, not part of the note). — The list is a catalogue of what the laboratory actually does, set out at length so that it can be denied wholesale on p. 70: none of it, Khunrath will say, reaches the first matter. ^†The word between Lapidis and viridantis is printed with a crossbarred first sort (f, not long s) and a crossbarred ligature, so the transmitted sui has no warrant in the types. fusi — of its molten greening Stone — fits both the sorts and the sense, and is printed here; the reading is open. Lapis viridans, the green stone of tartar, is left as Khunrath’s term and not resolved into a modern salt. ^‡commuuis is printed thus for communis, a turned or wrong sort; left as set.

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