x ▁in ▁detail . ▁Henry ▁Al ford ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 9 ▁wrote : ▁“ It ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁published ▁in ▁fac sim ile ▁(! ) ▁nor ▁even ▁thoroughly ▁coll ated ▁(! ! ). ” ▁S criv ener ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 1 ▁commented : ▁" Code x ▁V at ican us ▁ 1 2 0 9 ▁is ▁probably ▁the ▁oldest ▁large ▁v ell um ▁manuscript ▁in ▁existence , ▁and ▁is ▁the ▁glory ▁of ▁the ▁great ▁V at ican ▁Library ▁in ▁Rome . ▁To ▁these ▁legit imate ▁sources ▁of ▁deep ▁interest ▁must ▁be ▁added ▁the ▁almost ▁rom antic ▁curiosity ▁which ▁has ▁been ▁excited ▁by ▁the ▁je alous ▁watch ful ness ▁of ▁its ▁official ▁guard ians , ▁with ▁whom ▁an ▁honest ▁ze al ▁for ▁its ▁safe ▁pres ervation ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁now ▁deg ener ated ▁into ▁a ▁species ▁of ▁cap r icious ▁wil ful ness , ▁and ▁who ▁have ▁she wn ▁a ▁strange ▁in cap acity ▁for ▁making ▁themselves ▁the ▁proper ▁use ▁of ▁a ▁tre asure ▁they ▁scarcely ▁permit ▁others ▁more ▁than ▁to ▁gaz e ▁upon ". ▁It ▁( ...) ▁" is ▁so ▁je al ously ▁guard ed ▁by ▁the ▁Pap al ▁authorities ▁that ▁ordinary ▁visitors ▁see ▁nothing ▁of ▁it ▁but ▁the ▁red ▁Mor oc co ▁binding ". ▁ ▁Thomas ▁Law ▁Monte fi ore ▁( 1 8 6 2 ): ▁" The ▁history ▁of ▁the ▁Code x ▁V at ican us ▁B , ▁No . ▁ 1 2 0 9 , ▁is ▁the ▁history ▁in ▁mini ature ▁of ▁Rom ish ▁je alous