Admiral Nelson's letters

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

Well he had a good excuse for bad handwriting! One of Admiral Nelson's first letters written left-handed after he lost his right arm in battle is unearthed

The letter, penned months after he sustained the serious injury during the Royal Navy's loss at the Battle of Santa Cruz de Tenerife in 1797, is expected to sell for £4,000 at auction next month. Experts say the two-page note offers a fascinating insight into Nelson's state of mind and how he refused to stop conjuring up strategies in the build up to the Battle of Trafalgar, in 1805.