Billberg, John

, a Swedish astronomer, was born about the middle of the seventeenth century. He became professor of mathematics at Upsal in 1679, but his zeal for the Cartesian system made him be considered as a dangerous innovator, and he might have been a serious sufferer from the prejudices raised against him, if he had not met with a kind protector in Charles XL This prince having travelled to Torneo, was so struck with the phenomena of the sun at the spring solstice, that he sent Biilberg and Spola to make observations on it, in the frontiers of Lapland, and their observations were confirmed by those of the French mathematicians sent thither by Louis XV. Under king Charles’s protection, Biilberg received considerable promotion, and having studied divinity, was at last made bishop of Strengnes. 'He died in 1717, leaving, 1. “Tractatus de Cometis,” Stockholm, 1682. 2. “Elementa Geometrices,” Upsal, 1687. 3. “Tractatus de refractione solis inoccidui,” Stockholm, 1696. 4. “Tractatus de reformatione Calendarii Juliani et Gregoriani,” Stockholm, 1699, and many other philosophical and theological dissertations. ¹