The full Dutch name of this city of royalty is ’s Graven Hage (’s
grah´-fen hah´-ge), which means “the count’s inclosure.” The name was
given to it originally when it was a richly wooded plain and a hunting
resort of the counts of Holland. It is now the residence of the queen of
Holland and the seat of government, where most of the important national
transactions of the last three hundred years have taken place. There is
no great amount of business at The Hague. It is a place of important
political affairs and of social life and enjoyment. The life there is
distinguished for its gaiety, and the society for its distinction. Great
interest naturally centers in “The House in the Wood,” a most
picturesque château erected in 1645 for Princess Amalia, consort of
Prince Frederick Henry, son of Henry the Silent. This is the favorite
home of royalty. The most interesting apartment in the palace is the
Orange Room, which was prepared by the princess as a memorial to her
husband, and has been the scene of many important diplomatic and social
events. The first International Peace Conference, at which twenty-six
powers were represented, met in this room in the summer of 1899. The
House in the Wood is beautifully furnished and decorated, and, more than
the usual royal residence, it realizes the meaning of the word “home.”
[Illustration: GROOTE KERK, DORDRECHT
This church dates from the fourteenth century. Its tower is two hundred
and thirty feet high]