Aelfric of Eynsham
The Colloquy, meaning ‘conversation’, was written in the form of a dialogue between a teacher and his students who occupied different professions, such as a hunter, a ploughman, or a merchant. It was written for schoolchildren aged seven and above. The characters describe their jobs and lives, thus offering a glimpse into the activities of “the middle and lower classes of Anglo-Saxon society – a picture which is rarely found in Old English literature." It is also a valuable document in terms of language - although it was intended for Latin practice, one manuscript also included continuous Old English translations and glosses. For example: