 The first description of a procedure for isolating antimony is in the book De la <unk> of 1540 by <unk> Biringuccio ; this predates the more famous <unk> book by <unk> , De re <unk> . In this context <unk> has been often incorrectly credited with the discovery of metallic antimony . The book <unk> <unk> <unk> ( The <unk> Chariot of Antimony ) , describing the preparation of metallic antimony , was published in Germany in 1604 . It was purported to have been written by a Benedictine monk , writing under the name <unk> <unk> , in the 15th century ; if it were authentic , which it is not , it would predate Biringuccio . 
