The Dutch's Gravenhage, French La Haye), a large and beautiful city of Holland, the usual residence of the court, and the seat of the States-General, or Dutch parliament. It is the capital of the province of South Holland, standing 2 miles from the sea, 37 miles S.W. of Amsterdam, and 13 miles N.W. of Rotterdam, and connected by railway with both of these cities. The Hague originated in a hunting seat, which, as early as 1250, became a palace of the Counts of Holland. It takes its name 's Gravenhage (Counts' Hedge) from the house originally forming part of the inclosure surrounding the Counts' Park. It became the seat of the government and continued so till the erection of Holland into a kingdom by Bonaparte when Amsterdam was substituted. On the return of the Prince of Orange in 1813 it was restored to its former position. Though it was thus early a place of importance, yet it was only a mere village, having neither walls nor corporation till Louis Bonaparte, in the early part of this century, conferred on it the rank and privileges of a city. It is still unfortified, being surrounded only by a moat crossed by drawbridges. The streets are regular and spacious, and several of them are traversed by canals and planted with rows of trees. The houses are large and stately; and altogether the Hague is considered one of the finest cities in Holland. It is neither a trading nor manufacturing town, the inhabitants being chiefly people of means, or dependent on the court and government establishments. The principal streets are the Voorhout—lined with trees and bordered with handsome hotels—the Prinsengracht, Keueterdijk, and Noord Einde. The Vijverberg (hill of the fish ponds) is a square or place with avenues of trees forming a shady promenade on the one side, and on the other a spacious basin of water. On one side of the Vijverberg stands the Binnenhof, an irregular building of various dates, with a Huguenot handsome Gothic hall, the only remaining portion of the original residence of the Counts of Holland. The States-General hold their meetings in the Binnenhof, part of which is also occupied by the government offices. The National Museum occupies the former palace of Prince Maurice, an elegant building of the seventeenth century. In the lower story of the building is the Royal Cabinet of Curiosities, several apartments being entirely occupied with objects of curiosity from China, Japan, and the Dutch colonies—those from Japan being peculiarly interesting and varied. One division is devoted to historical relics of distinguished persons. The picture-gallery in the same building is almost entirely confined to the works of the Dutch masters, but it contains some of the finest of these. The Royal Library contains about 100,000 vols., and has also an extensive and valuable collection of medals and gems. The royal palace is an unpretending building in the Grecian style, consisting of a centre and two wings forming three sides of a square. The palace of the Prince of Orange is a large but plain edifice. The splendid collection of pictures belonging to the late king was sold by auction in 1850. There are many valuable private collections of pictures at the Hague, and numerous learned and benevolent associations. It has also fourteen churches, two synagogues, orphan asylum, theatre, and state prison. In the neighbourhood of the town are numerous elegant villas. The summer palace of the royal family, known as the House in the Wood, stands in a finely wooded park in the outskirts of the town. The water in the canals at the Hague is more stagnant than in almost any other part of Holland, and hence frequently arise offensive smells. Huygens, the inventor of the pendulum clock, and William III. of England, were natives of this town. Pop. (1850) 72,467.