 In 1831 , Coke 's personal friend Earl Grey became Prime Minister ; as a result , Coke 's appearances in Parliament became more regular . He expressed delight at the Great Reform Act 1832 , although he only spoke on the subject once , and chose its passage on 4 June 1832 as the appropriate moment to retire as an MP . As the " greatest commoner in England " , Coke finally accepted a peerage in July 1837 ( having been offered one six times before ) , becoming the Earl of Leicester . He took no pleasure in attending the House of Lords , however , describing it as " the hospital for incurables " . 
