Five of the bishops fled over sea, and secret disaffection was spreading widely, but there was no public avoidance of the excommunicated king.

An Archdeacon of Norwich who withdrew from his service was crushed to death under a cope of lead, and the hint was sufficient to prevent either prelate or noble from following his example.
[Sidenote: The Deposition] The attitude of John showed the power which the administrative reforms of his father had given to the Crown.

He stood alone, with nobles estranged from him and the Church against him, but his strength seemed utterly unbroken.

From the first moment of his rule John had defied the baronage.
The promise to satisfy their demand for redress of wrongs in the past reign, a promise made at his election, remained unfulfilled; when the demand was repeated he answered it by seizing their castles and taking their children as hostages for their loyalty.

The cost of his fruitless threats of war had been met by heavy and repeated taxation, by increased land tax and increased scutage.