We might further say that, if the fire tended to move in a straight
line, it must effect a return upon itself in the only place where it is
possible (in the heavens), inasmuch as there is no place outside of the
world where it could go. In fact there is no further place, beyond the
celestial fire, for itself constitutes the last place in the universe;
it therefore moves in a circle in the place at its disposal; it is its
own place, but not to remain immovable, but to move. In a circle, the
centre is naturally immovable; and were the circumference the same, it
would be only an immense centre. It is therefore better that the fire
should turn around the centre in this living and naturally organized
body. Thus the fire will tend towards the centre, not in stopping, for
it would lose its circular form, but in moving itself around it; thus
only will it be able to satisfy its tendency (towards the universal
Soul). However, if this power effect the movement of the body of the
universe, it does not drag it like a burden, nor give it an impulsion
contrary to its nature. For nature is constituted by nothing else
than the order established by the universal Soul. Besides, as the
whole Soul is everywhere, and is not divided into parts, it endows the
sky with all the ubiquity it can assimilate, which can occur only by
traversing all of it. If the Soul remained immovable in one place, she
would remain immovable as soon as the heavens reached this place; but
as the Soul is everywhere, they would seek to reach her everywhere.
Can the heavens never reach the Soul? On the contrary, they reach her
ceaselessly; for the Soul, in ceaselessly attracting them to herself,
endues them with a continual motion by which she carries them, not
towards some other place, but towards herself, and in the same place,
not in a straight line, but in a circle, and thus permits them to
possess her in all the places which she traverses.