John Cabot

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

On 5th March 1496 King Henry VII issued letters patent to John Cabot (Giovanni Caboto), the Italian navigator and explorer, giving him authority to sail on a voyage of discovery. Under this commission Cabot set off to find Asia and instead discovered parts of North America, including an island he named 'new found land' although it is unclear that it was in fact present day Newfoundland.