HAGUE. 25

the vicinity of this place, painted in the sixteenth and seven- teenth centuries, and with these are combined the representa- tions of the costume of the various classes of inhabitants of the same period. The road to Scheveling, a village on the sea-coast, has a most magnificent appearance; but the view possesses too much uniformity to be dwelt on long with any delight. It is adorned by four rows of majestic oaks, is about sixty-five feet in breadth, and the sides display numerous country-houses, some of moderate, others of large, dimensions, but all with a neat trimness that is peculiarly national.

The palace of Ryswick, in the village of that name, is more remarkable for its historical connexion with the peace con- cluded there in 1697, and for the lofty trees that surround it, than for any distinguished beauty, either of the exterior or interior decorations.

The stage coach or diligence which conveys passengers from the Hague to Harlem, like the vehicle of the same name in France, carries six inside passengers, but on three seats, each of which is numbered, and those who take their places in it are furnished with a ticket, signifying the seat they are to occupy. Besides the inside passengers, two others are ac- commodated in what is called the cabriole, a kind of open part in the front, with curtains to draw, in case inclement weather should render it necessary. These carriages, though very clumsy in appearance, are remarkably well hung; are very well stuffed, both in the seat and the sides; and though not quite so easy as the motion of the treckschuyt, are upon these roads, which are as smooth as a parlour-floor, the least fatiguing conveyance I ever was in.

The Dutch certainly excel other nations in their mill and wheel work, and I was much impressed with the superiority

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