a city, the capital of the Austrian kingdom of Bohemia. It is nearly in the centre of the kingdom, on the river Moldau, which runs to the Elbe on its way to the ocean, and divides the city into two parts. There is over the river one of the finest ancient bridges in Europe, 1800 feet in length, consisting of sixteen arches, and adorned with twenty-eight statues of saints and martyrs.

The city is built on seven hills, and the streets are consequently irregular; the houses are very antique and large, and the compass of the whole is said to be nine miles. It contains numerous public buildings, amongst others the metropolitan cathedral, dedicated to St. Beit, with twelve highly-decorated side chapels, besides which, are no less than forty-six other Catholic churches, and several monasteries and nunneries. The palace of the ancient kings of Bohemia has been converted into a citadel; but a more modern one, now used as a Stadthouse, is of vast extent, containing 150 apartments, with a hall near equal in size to that of Westminster. There is a university, one of the oldest in Germany, in which degrees are obtained in the four faculties of law, medicine, theology, and philosophy. It has connected with it a library of 100,000 volumes; a botanic garden, an astronomical observatory, and collections of natural history. There are forty-four professors, and the students, which were in 1816, only 8798, had increased, and in 1823, were 1348. This seminary may be considered the birthplace of the reformation of religion, as John Huss and Jerome exercised in it the right of free inquiry, and became victims to it nearly one hundred years before the appearance of Luther. There also several societies for the promotion of learning, of the sciences, and of the fine arts. The institutions for the maintenance of the poor, for affording medical aid, and for other benevolent purposes, are numerous and well conducted. The inhabitants, like those of all Europe, have greatly increased since the treaty of Vienna in 1815. In that year they were 67,730 Christians, and 6,783 Jews; in 1817, they were 79,606, from which, by regular increase, they had grown up, in 1827, to 107,325.

The chief trade is that which arises from its central position, and from its being the seat of the local government; but there are manufactures of gold, silver, jewellery, and other luxuries, as well as others, for internal consumption, of silk, cotton, linen, and woollen goods, and for cutlery and haberdashery wares; there are also large breweries and distilleries. The city is fortified; but, from being commanded by hills, is scarcely defensible; but it has been the theatre of many bloody actions. A battle was fought in 1620 on the white plains a few miles from the city, between the Elector Palatine and the Austrians, when the success of the latter caused the independence of Bohemia to expire. It was besieged by the French in 1751, and by the Prussians, who bombarded it in 1757; but in both cases the resistance was attended with success. Lat. 50. 5. 33. Long. 14. 49. 40.