The contemporary classical scholar Richard Porson mocked Gibbon, writing that his humanity never slept, "unless when women are ravished, or the Christians persecuted".
Richard Porson, seorang akademisi klasika kontemporer, mencemooh Gibbon, menuliskan bahwa kemanusiaannya tidak pernah tidur, "kecuali saat kaum wanita diperkosa, ataupun kaum Kristiani dianiaya".