THE HAGUE. J45 



but the flexures are much too regular. Water, as usual, 

 is the only defence or line of separation from the contermi- 

 nous fields, or from the high road. These ditches, though 

 broad, brimful, and kept tolerably clean, have a dull as- 

 pect ; but that water should appear stagnant in a flat coun- 

 try, cannot be ascribed as a fault to the gardener, Shrubs 

 and flowers are planted in small compartments cut out in 

 the grassy covering of the lawn, The figures of these com- 

 partments are different,-— circles, ovals, and crescents, A 

 bed of dahlias was now in flower, but presented nothing 

 uncommon : Indeed, we learned that the collection had been 

 procured from Antwerp only the year before, The plants 

 in the borders and shrubberies were in general of the more 

 common kinds 5 but some rarities also appeared, Among 

 these the Passiflora ccerulea was here displaying its gorgeous 

 flowers in the shrubbery ; but we observed that it was con- 

 tained in a pot sunk in the earth, and not well concealed, 

 Rosa Pennsylvania was very abundant, and seemed not 

 only to be healthy, but to produce its flowers freely, while 

 in Scotland these seldom appear, 



Close by the palace is a small greenhouse, erected in 

 1815 for the Princess of Orange, It contains a few pret- 

 ty good plants ; but there is nothing becoming royalty 

 either in the size of the house or the choice nature of the 

 collection. Datura arborea was now in flower, and filled 

 the place with its odour ; and the white variety of Vinca 

 rosea was in bloom. There are here no hot-houses for the 

 forcing of fruit ; nor did there appear to be anv thing re- 

 markable among the hardy fruits cultivated in the garden. 



This garden at the House in the Wood, is the only one 

 worth visiting at the Hague, with the exception perhaps of 

 Mr Fage]'s, The Portland Gardens, belonging to dip 



