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 76

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Early New High German Page · Branch 83 of 215

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Early New High German

p. 76

Golde; auch bey Rothgülden vnd Glaß - Ertzen so durch artige künstliche Handgriffe / (von denen man / wo nötig / mehr bericht / weder mancher Spötter vnd Nasenweiser tadeler vielleicht meinet / auch geben könte) zart / subtil / lucker vnd weiß / auff Arsenicalische art / daruon abgescheiden werden; Item von GRAWEN Silber Kobolten / vnd dergleichen Wilden Silber Ertzen oder Berckarthen mehr / auch nicht wol treffen. Worumb dann nicht? darumb / dieweil Sie / Erstlich / nicht mehr in specificirten pri - materialischen vnd Silber oder Gold anfenglichen / Will geschweigen / in ALGEMEINEM aller Metallen Erstmaterialischen Stande / sondern albereit Embryonirte Metalla, als / auff entweder Silber oder Goldt / (per Argentificas vel Aurificas NATVRAE, h. e. ANI-

Heinrich Khunrath’s Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum: Magnesia Catholica Philosophorum

p. 76

Gold; also with Red-gold and Glass-Ores — from which, by neat artful handlings (of which one could, where needful, give more account than many a Scoffer and pert Fault-finder perhaps supposes) those Matters are separated off, tender, subtle, loose and white, after an Arsenical manner; likewise with GREY Silver Cobalts and other like Wild Silver Ores or Mountain-kinds — and there too one will not hit it well. Why then not? Because THEY are, First, no longer in a specified pri-material and initially Silver or Gold — let alone in a UNIVERSAL — First-material State of all Metals, but are already Embryonated Metals — namely, upon either Silver or Gold (by the Silver-making or Gold-making [Seminal Reasons] of NATVRE, that is, of the SOVL

133.Marginal glosses: ‘Out of Glass-ores and Red-gold Ores it should surely yield fine Whitenings of Venus!’; ‘Arsenic and Orpiment fall under the same head; so does the running corporeal Mercury which you suppose yourself to separate, or might separate, out of Arsenic.’; ‘For all Metals share in one matter, which is the twofold Mercury.’ — The third gloss is the premiss of the whole argument, and Mercurius duplex is the REBIS of p. 54. — Albationes Veneris, the whitenings of copper, is said in derision: what the handlings yield is a whitened copper, not a first matter. — Berckarthen is Bergarten, kinds of mountain-stuff. — The relative so … daruon abgescheiden werden looks back past the ores to the gifftigen flüchtigen Materijs of p. 75: it is those matters that are separated off from the ores, not the ores from anything. — The Latin has no noun after Argentificas vel Aurificas; it waits for p. 77, and the English waits with it.

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