# Mr. Hilary — Nightmare Abbey character guide

> Mr. Hilary in Nightmare Abbey by Thomas Love Peacock.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Hilary, Mr. Hilary Filling

**First appearance:** 0007-vi

## Snapshot

Mr. Glowry's cheerfully married brother-in-law, whose lively household of dancers and drinkers offers Scythrop a sunlit contrast to the abbey's gloom.

## Who they are

Mr. Hilary is the elastic, good-humoured counterweight to his melancholic brother-in-law: his London house is filled with the gayest of the gay, and it is under his roof that Scythrop first falls in love with the beautiful Miss Emily Girouette. Where Glowry reads Ecclesiastes and calls marriage a lottery, Hilary simply lives as if the opposite were true, and the mismatch between the two households quietly frames the novel's debate about temperament and choice. His hospitality sets the early romantic machinery in motion, then hands Scythrop back to Nightmare Abbey to brood over it.

## Relationships

### [Scythrop Glowry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters/scythrop_glowry)

_family_

Mr. Hilary is Scythrop's cheerful uncle, who contrasts with the Glowry gloom and tries to guide Scythrop pragmatically.

### [Mr. Glowry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters/mr_glowry)

_family_

Mr. Glowry and Mr. Hilary are brothers, with Hilary's cheerfulness constantly irritating Glowry's melancholy.

### [Mr. Glowry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters/mr_glowry)

_family_

Mr. Glowry and Mr. Hilary are brothers, with Hilary's cheerfulness constantly irritating Glowry's melancholy.

### [Mr. Glowry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters/mr_glowry)

_family_

Mr. Glowry and Mr. Hilary are brothers, with Hilary's cheerfulness constantly irritating Glowry's melancholy.

### [Scythrop Glowry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters/scythrop_glowry)

_family_

Mr. Hilary is Scythrop's cheerful uncle, who contrasts with the Glowry gloom and tries to guide Scythrop pragmatically.

## In the story

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/i)

Scythrop's cheerful uncle, whose lively visits often discompose Mr. Glowry's nerves.

### [Chapter VI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/vi)

Offers a counterpoint to Flosky's arguments, comparing the new literary fashion to forcing a nettle to the size of an elm.

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/vii)

Contributes to the debate on happiness and misanthropy, arguing that a happy disposition finds enjoyment everywhere.

### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/ix)

Brought by Mr. Glowry to ratify the betrothal; is delighted at the prospect for his niece, but later confused by the quarrel.

### [XI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/xi)

Advocates for cheerfulness and a catch, countering the melancholy of others.

### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/xii)

Offers psychological explanations for ghost sightings and laughs at Mr. Toobad's misadventure.

### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/chapters/xiii)

Enters the tower seeking Mr. Glowry; summons the household and demands an explanation.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters/mr_hilary
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/nightmare_abbey_se/characters