Subsequent writers were not wanting to fill up what this letter declares to have been at its own date unknown, as to the manner and time of Mary’s assumption, and the persons employed in effecting it.  The first authority appealed to in defence of the tradition relating to the assumption of the Virgin[114], is usually cited as a well-known work written by Euthymius, who was contemporary with Juvenal, Archbishop of Jerusalem.  And the testimony simply quoted as his, offers to us the following account of the miraculous transaction[115]:—­

    [Footnote 114:  Coccius heads the extract merely with these
    words:  “Euthumius Eremita Historiae Ecclesiasticae, lib. iii. c.
    40;” assigning the date A.D. 549.]

    [Footnote 115:  This version by Coccius differs in some points
    from the original.  Jo.  Dam. vol. ii. p. 879.]

“It has been above said, that the holy Pulcheria {307} built many churches to Christ at Constantinople.  Of these, however, there is one which was built in Blachernae, in the beginning of Marcian I’s reign of divine memory.  These, therefore, namely, Marcian and Pulcheria, when they had built a venerable temple to the greatly to be celebrated and most holy mother of God and ever Virgin Mary, and had decked it with all ornaments, sought her most holy body, which had conceived God.  And having sent for Juvenal, Archbishop of Jerusalem, and the bishops of Palestine, who were living in the royal city on account of the synod then held at Chalcedon, they say to them, ’We hear that there is in Jerusalem the first and famous Church of Mary, mother of God and ever Virgin, in the garden called Gethsemane, where her body which bore the Life was deposited in a coffin.  We wish, therefore, her relics to be brought here for the protection of this royal city.  But Juvenal answered, ’In the holy and divinely inspired Scripture, indeed, nothing is recorded of the departure of holy Mary, mother of God.  But from an ancient and most true tradition we have received, that at the time of her glorious falling asleep, all the holy Apostles who were going through the world for the salvation of the nations, in a moment of time borne aloft, came together at Jerusalem.  And when they were near her, they had a vision of angels, and divine melody of the highest powers was heard:  and thus with divine and more than heavenly glory, she delivered her holy soul into the hands of God in an unspeakable manner.  But that which had conceived God being borne with angelic and apostolic psalmody, with funeral rites, was deposited in a coffin in Gethsemane.  In this place the chorus and singing of the angels continued for three whole days.  But {308} after three days, on the angelic music ceasing, since one of the Apostles had been absent, and came after the third day, and wished to adore the body which had conceived God, the Apostles, who were present, opened the coffin; but the body, pure and every way to be praised, they could not at