“I am come to the point of the wheel,” where, stanza by stanza, the external phenomena of the world in winter are contrasted with the state of the poet’s soul, ever burning in the “sweet martyrdom” of love’s fire. It is the ultimate perfection of a species of poem employed by Arnaut and other troubadours; another lyrical masterpiece, anticipating in its degree the treatment of nature which we find in the _Commedia_. These four poems were probably composed shortly before Dante’s banishment, but another canzone of somewhat similar tone was certainly written in exile--the famous and much discussed “mountain song”: Amor, da che convien pur ch’io mi doglia, “Love, since I needs must make complaint,” apparently describing an overwhelming passion for the fair lady of the Casentino; its pathetic close, with its reference to Florence, has been already quoted. The striking sonnet to Cino da Pistoia about the same time: Io sono stato con Amore insieme. “I have been in company with love since the circling of my ninth sun,” affords further testimony that, at certain epochs of his life, earthly love took captive Dante’s freewill. (_f_) To the earlier years of Dante’s exile belongs the noblest and most sublime of his lyrics, the canzone: Tre donne intorno al cor mi son venute, “Three ladies are come around my heart and are seated without, for within sits Love who is in lordship of my life.” They are Justice and her spiritual children; Love prophesies the ultimate triumph of righteousness, and the poet, with such high companionship in outward misfortune, declares that he counts his exile as an honour. While recalling the legend of the apparition of Lady Poverty and her two companions to St. Francis of Assisi, and a poem of Giraut de Borneil on the decay of chivalry, the canzone echoes Isaiah (ch. li.). Its key may be found in the prophet’s words: “Hearken unto me, ye that know Justice, the people in whose heart is my law; fear ye not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.” It was probably written between 1303 and 1306; its opening lines have been found transcribed in a document of 1310.[16] To about the same epoch must be assigned the powerful canzone against vice in general and avarice in particular: Doglia mi reca ne lo core ardire,