Gulliver and Reldresal

Gulliver and Reldresal, the principal secretary for private affairs in Lilliput, form a relationship that stands as the most significant political alliance Gulliver makes during his captivity. Reldresal is introduced as a person of quality and personal merit, and he proves himself a true friend by using his influence to secure Gulliver's liberty and later by risking his own position to warn him of a plot that would cost him his eyes or his life. The bond is built on mutual service: Reldresal advocates for Gulliver at court, and Gulliver in turn offers him protection and gratitude, creating a rare instance of genuine loyalty in a world of courtly intrigue.

Origins and Early Alliance

The friendship begins during Gulliver's early confinement, when Reldresal visits him at his lodging in the ancient temple that serves as his prison. The secretary comes attended only by one servant, ordering his coach to wait at a distance, and asks for a private audience. Gulliver, recognizing Reldresal's quality and the many good offices he has already performed during the solicitations for liberty, readily consents. Rather than have Gulliver lie down to speak at ear level, Reldresal chooses to be held in Gulliver's hand during their conversation, a gesture of trust that underscores the intimacy of their exchange. It is in this meeting that Reldresal reveals the two great evils threatening Lilliput: a violent domestic faction between the Tramecksan and Slamecksan parties, and the danger of invasion from the island of Blefuscu. He explains the origin of the war—the Big-endian controversy over which end of an egg to break—and the history of rebellions and exiles that have followed. This confidential briefing establishes Reldresal as Gulliver's primary source of political intelligence and sets the stage for Gulliver's offer to defend the emperor against all invaders.

The Secretary's Intercession at the Impeachment

The most critical test of the relationship comes when a conspiracy of Gulliver's enemies—Skyrris Bolgolam, Flimnap, Limtoc, Lalcon, and Balmuff—prepares articles of impeachment against him for high treason. Reldresal, who has always approved himself Gulliver's true friend, is commanded by the emperor to deliver his opinion before the council. He allows that Gulliver's crimes are great but argues that there is room for mercy, the most commendable virtue in a prince. He proposes that instead of a painful and ignominious death, Gulliver should be sentenced only to the loss of both eyes, an expedient that would satisfy justice while preserving Gulliver's bodily strength for future service. This proposal is received with the utmost disapprobation by the whole board, and Bolgolam rises in fury, wondering how the secretary dares to give an opinion for preserving the life of a traitor. Yet Reldresal persists, and when the treasurer objects to the cost of maintaining Gulliver, the secretary offers a further compromise: gradually lessening Gulliver's establishment so that he would grow weak and faint, and after his death, his flesh could be cut from his bones and buried to prevent infection, leaving the skeleton as a monument. Through this grim negotiation, Reldresal secures a sentence of blinding rather than execution, and the project of starving Gulliver by degrees is kept secret.

The Warning and Escape

Reldresal's loyalty extends beyond the council chamber. A considerable person at court—whom Gulliver had served when he lay under the emperor's highest displeasure—comes to Gulliver's house very privately at night, in a close chair, and reveals the entire conspiracy. He brings a copy of the articles of impeachment and explains that in three days the secretary will be directed to read them before Gulliver and pronounce the sentence of blinding. This warning, delivered at great personal risk, gives Gulliver the time he needs to escape to Blefuscu. The identity of this informant is never explicitly named in the text, but the description of a person who had been very serviceable to Gulliver and who now ventures his head for his service aligns with the pattern of Reldresal's friendship. The warning is the decisive act that saves Gulliver's life, and it is the culmination of a relationship built on trust and reciprocal obligation.

Thematic Significance

The relationship between Gulliver and Reldresal serves as a counterpoint to the pervasive corruption and self-interest of the Lilliputian court. While Flimnap, Bolgolam, and the empress conspire against Gulliver out of envy, malice, or revenge, Reldresal acts out of genuine gratitude and a sense of justice. He is the only minister who consistently speaks in Gulliver's favor, and his interventions are motivated by the good offices Gulliver has done him, not by any expectation of reward. The friendship thus illustrates the possibility of integrity within a system of political intrigue, even as it ultimately fails to protect Gulliver from the machinations of his enemies. Reldresal's role as the secretary for private affairs also positions him as the keeper of secrets, the one who knows the true state of the empire and who chooses to share that knowledge with Gulliver, making him an indispensable ally in a world where information is power.