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de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception 

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'The Fall of Nelson, Battle of Trafalgar', by Denis Dighton, c1825

 

On the right, Nelson is portrayed at the moment he falls on his left side. Captain Hardy, with his back to the viewer, advances to assist Royal Marine Sergeant Secker, who is already at Nelson's side. In the centre foreground, Midshipman Pollard aims with a musket, to return the fire of the French marksman who shot Nelson, and a marine to his left also prepares to fire.

About the exhibition

 

A new permanent gallery at the National Maritime Museum brings some 250 objects from the museum’s collections together. The aim is to explore how the Royal Navy impacted the lives of ordinary people and changed British history between the Glorious Revolution of 1688 to the defeat of Napoleon in 1815.

Visitors will be able to examine virtually all aspects of naval life – from bustling dockyards and ferocious sea battles, to what motivated young men to join the navy, the work they did and the punishments they received. A seven-barrelled volley gun, as well as an amputation knife and the last letter Nelson wrote to his daughter Horatia are just some of the pieces on display. Visitors will also learn how Navy heroes became British celebrities.
Nelson, Navy, Nation: The Story of the Royal Navy and the British People, 1688–1815 opens at the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, on 21 October. Find out more at the museum's website
Images © National Maritime Museum, London