A previously unpublished letter by Admiral Lord Nelson sent three days before the Battle of Trafalgar has emerged 220 years on.
The British naval hero is primed for action as he writes from on board HMS Victory that he 'hopes for a good battle which God of his infinite mercy grant us very soon'.
He adds that he 'hopes the result will be for the general benefit of Europe and little England in particular'.
Nelson had his wish on October 21, 1805, masterminding his greatest triumph over the combined French and Spanish fleets.
But it would be his last stand as he was fatally shot by a French sniper after urging his men to 'do their duty'.
