| From a manuscript dated c 1243 of the German Franciscan friar Alexander's 'Commentary on the Apocalypse' which has a description of the foundation of Citeaux, the early growth of the Order and the role of Bernard in its expansion. The short account is illustrated by a unique picture which covers the full width of the folio including the margins. Above the picture in the left margin it says: 'Here is the monastery of Citeaux whose brothers are engaged in manual labour and whose abbot of the same place sent four abbots with a group of brothers to different places. One of these was blessed Bernard who was sent to Clairvaux'. Citeaux's third abbot, Stephen Harding, appears on the left and a group of monks - the abbots of the houses he founded - kneel before him. The four monks, each carrying a book and each within a niche surmounted by a dome or tower and separated from the others by columns, are the abbots of the first four foundations as described by the note above in the right margin: 'Here are the four monasteries built by the four abbots sent from Citeaux, that is Bernard's place Clairvaux, the house of La Ferte, Morimond, and Pontigny. From these four houses the whole Cistercian Order was spread'. The second from the left is bearded and may therefore represent Bernard who, according to tradition, had a short beard.
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