The Diary of Dr. John William Polidori, 1816, Relating to Byron, Shelley, etc

In Short

This volume collects the personal journal entries of John William Polidori during his 1816 travel across Europe as Lord Byron’s personal physician. Beginning with their departure from England, the narrative traces their passage through Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy, recording intimate encounters with Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Godwin, and prominent Continental intellectuals. Edited decades later by Polidori’s nephew, William Michael Rossetti, the text combines raw daily observations with editorial commentary. It survives as an essential, unvarnished eyewitness account of the famous summer at Villa Diodati that birthed modern gothic literature.

The Story

The journal opens in April 1816 as twenty-year-old John William Polidori departs Dover alongside Lord Byron. Freshly graduated from medical school and harboring intense literary ambitions of his own, Polidori keeps a meticulous record of their movement through Flanders and the Rhine valley. His early entries reflect a sharp, observant eye detailing Flemish architecture, post-Napoleonic fortifications, dirty inns, local customs, and the physical toll of rapid travel. He notes the cultural quirks of Belgian towns, evaluates art collections, and describes the landscape with mixed awe and pragmatic distaste.

Upon reaching Switzerland, the narrative shifts focus dramatically. In Geneva, Byron meets Percy Bysshe Shelley, Mary Godwin, and Claire Clairmont. Polidori becomes an embedded witness to their historic circle. He records their daily routine of boating on Lake Geneva, intellectual debates on science and philosophy, and late-night discussions of ghost stories that ultimately spark Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and his own tale, The Vampyre. Polidori’s entries reveal the interpersonal tensions within the group, capturing Shelley’s delicate disposition and the complex social dynamics surrounding Byron’s entourage.

As the journey continues into late summer, Polidori strikes out across the Swiss Alps on foot and horseback. He writes vivid descriptions of terrifying mountain passes, granite chasms, and desolate hospices, pushing himself through physical exhaustion and severe weather. His solitary travels bring him into contact with local mountain communities before he heads south toward Northern Italy.

By autumn, Polidori arrives in Milan and Florence, entering vibrant Italian social and literary circles. He attends the opera at La Scala, exchanges views with writers like Stendhal (Henri Beyle), and navigates complex diplomatic frictions under Austrian rule. An altercation at a Milanese theater leads to a sudden expulsion order by Austrian police authorities despite interventions by Byron and local nobility. Forced to move on, Polidori walks through severe storms to visit relatives in Arezzo. Facing mounting financial strains and uncertain employment prospects, he corresponds with his father regarding a potential return to London. The text concludes with editor Rossetti’s biographical framework, leaving a candid historical record of a brilliant, volatile youth moving among the titans of English literature.

How It Unfolds

Departure from England Polidori leaves Dover by sea with Byron and three servants, watching the English cliffs fade while recording sea-foam and starlight on deck. He reaches Ostend and begins traveling through Flanders, commenting sharply on the local scenery and social conditions.

Traversing the Netherlands and Rhine The party travels through Ghent, Brussels, and Waterloo, observing post-war ruins, local monuments, and dirty roadhouses. Moving along the Rhine, Polidori notes ruined castles, regional cathedrals, and Byron’s poetic compositions written directly on the journey.

The Genevan Summer Arriving in Geneva, Polidori meets Shelley, Mary Godwin, and Claire Clairmont. He documents their shared lakeside dinners, philosophical debates, boating excursions, and the ghost-story gatherings that shape their literary legacies.

Alpine Excursions Polidori ventures alone through the Swiss highlands, enduring long hikes over the Grimsel Pass and St. Gothard routes. He describes massive granite cliffs, roaring waterfalls, and rugged mountain shelters in precise physical detail.

Northern Italy and Conflict Reaching Milan, Polidori engages with Italian intellects, scholars, and foreign writers. His stay ends abruptly when a run-in with Austrian guards at a theater results in an official order of expulsion within twenty-four hours.

Journey to Arezzo and Retreat Polidori treks through intense downpours and mountain cold to reach his family in Arezzo. Cold, stiff, and short on funds, he rests with his relatives while deciding whether to seek employment in Rome or return to England.

The People

• John William Polidori: A proud, twenty-year-old doctor and aspiring writer who longs for literary recognition. He struggles with his subordinate role as Byron's physician, often clashing with his employer while striving to assert his own intellectual dignity and independent talent.
• Lord Byron: A towering, restless poet fleeing public controversy in England. He wants creative freedom and stimulus abroad, yet his dominating personality and casual condescension frequently test Polidori's fragile self-esteem.
• Percy Bysshe Shelley: An intense, idealist poet who seeks intellectual companionship and artistic freedom. Sensitive and frail in appearance, he engages in deep philosophical arguments on the nature of life, mind, and society.
• William Michael Rossetti: Polidori's nephew and the book's editor. He seeks to present an honest, contextualized record of his uncle's life, adding historical notes that balance Polidori's flaws against his genuine talents.

In Its Own Voice

"Sailing from England, I for a long time kept my eye upon its stern white cliffs, thinking on her who bade me join her remembrance with the last sight of my native soil."

Polidori captures his melancholic mood as the English coast disappears during the night crossing to the Continent.

"Dined with S[helley]; went to the lake with them and L[ord] B[yron]... The dome of heaven seemed oval. At 10 landed and drank tea. Madness, Grattan, Curran, etc., subjects."

The author records the casual evening routine and wide-ranging conversations shared among the poets along Lake Geneva.

"From Guttannen the road went through the wildest and most sublime scenery I ever read of: vegetation less and less, so that, instead of grass, there was moss; then nothing."

Polidori details the stark, desolate landscape encountered during his solo trek through the Swiss alpine passes.

What It's Really About

Beneath its travel itineraries and literary gossip, the diary examines the friction between fragile ego and extraordinary genius. Polidori constantly measures himself against Byron and Shelley, exposing the psychological strain of living in the shadow of men whose greatness he recognizes but envies. His journal reveals the harsh reality of romantic youth—ambition unbacked by maturity, pride easily wounded, and the search for an independent identity. It also documents the post-Napoleonic European landscape, contrasting the ruined battlefield of Waterloo and rigid military police states with the idealist, revolutionary art being forged by English expatriates.

Why Read It Today

This diary appeals to anyone fascinated by the Romantic era, offering an unfiltered look at iconic literary figures stripped of historical myth. Rather than a polished literary work, it reads like an immediate, unedited notebook filled with sharp observation, youthful vanity, and genuine curiosity. Readers experience the legendary summer of 1816 not through grand retrospectives, but through the daily logistics of dinner bills, bad roads, boating trips, and sudden arguments.

The text presents occasional reading challenges. Polidori's style can be blunt, disjointed, and heavy with casual period spellings or brief lists of names. Editor William Michael Rossetti frequently interrupts with extensive footnotes and framing commentary to correct errors or add biographical context. Furthermore, Polidori’s dismissive judgments of foreign customs and summary characterizations reflect the prejudices of a young 19th-century Englishman. Yet these raw qualities are precisely what make the book valuable. It remains a rare, humanizing window into a extraordinary moment in literary history, written by a tragic young man who was right in the middle of it.