Transylvania is in the hands of three distinct people. First the _Szekeli_, which are otherwise corruptly wrote _Sciculi_, _Siculi_, or _Scytuli_[127]. The second are the _Saxones_. And the third are the _Hungari_. The first and third of these speak the same Hungarian language, and are _Hunns_ of the same original, only settled in this country at different times. The _Saxons_ speak intirely the German Saxon language, from which nation they are a colony, and settled here under _Geysa_ the second King of Hungary. They have each of them their distinct laws, customs, and privileges, and are severally divided after this manner. First the _Szekeli_ into seven _szeks_, namely: _Meros-szék_, _Udvarhel-szék_, _Harom-szék_, _Kesdi Orba Sepsi-szék_, _Csik-szék_, _Gyorgy-szék_, and _Arangus-szék_. Over each of these seats preside so many captains; and being a warlike robust people, still retaining the ferity of the Scythians, of which the whole body of the _Hunni_ was at first a colony, they have been always exempted from taxes and duties to the government, except only the service of war upon occasion under their respective captains. But of late the Emperor has persuaded them to submit to the like taxes and duties, with all other his Transylvanian subjects. On account of their not holding their lands of the government, there is a peculiar custom obtaining among them, that in defect of heirs their estate escheats not to the government, but to the next neighbour. The _Saxons_ have in like manner their seven seats alloted from their first settlement, namely: _Szerdaky-szék_, _Szeben-szék_, _Brassoy-szék_, _Medyes-szék_, _Segyvar-szék_, _Bestereze-szék_, and _Erdovidek-szék_. Each of these seats have their capital city, called _Regia et libera civitas_. Over this city, and the seat or district belonging to it, presides a _judex regius_, called in their language, _konings rickter_. But the authority and prerogative of the _Judex Cibiniensis_, that is of _Hermanstadt_, extends itself over the several Saxon seats; except that he of _Brassow_ or _Cronstadt_ pretends in many cases an exemption, which has been allowed, because of its too great distance from the tribunal of _Szeben_, or _Hermanstadt_. Besides the authority of this judge, there is a subordinate government in each city by a senate, which ordinarily consists of about sixteen, and a centumvirate or commonalty, tho it seldom contains a complete hundred. Each in their several districts have the _jus gladii_, and all other prerogatives of an intire jurisdiction.