Alexandria Daily Gazette, Commercial & Political

IMPERIAL SPLENDOR.

I sing the SOFA.

COWPER.

"May the throne which he has founded upon so many triumphs, and which you adorn with so many charms, offer henceforth only images of the peace, beneficence and happiness which surround you." [Address of Fontanes, president of the legislative body, to the Empress of France.]

The Empress Josephine's Sofas at St. Cloud.

We have been favored by a gentleman lately returned from the continent, with a description of some of the splendid embellishments of that superb palace of the Empress Josephine at St. Cloud:

The principal drawing room contains eight magnificent sofas. The two ends, in form, represent the Roman chariot, from which flows a continued line the whole length of the front of the sofa; this line represents a fillet of gold enclosing a ground work of bronze metal; which is likewise terminated by a gold banding. On the bronze are placed fasces, in ormolu, as emblems of royalty; five medallions occupy the front, filled with male and female busts of the most distinguished Romans: From these medallions festoons are suspended, composed of Grecian foliage. The whole of these ornaments are likewise of gold, of most exquisite workmanship. -Four massive lion's feet, in ormolu, support each sofa. The seats, backs, &c. are covered with a royal crimson Genoa velvet, laced over with five bands of garter blue velvet embroidered in silver. A superb ornament in ormolu, delicately chased, completes the finish of each back. The whole stand on platforms of verde antique marble, enriched by rosettes of ormolu. Each of these splendid articles occupy a space in length of twelve feet by three feet six inches.